The 2020-2021 North Carolina basketball team, hampered by four canceled games due to COVID protocols, only managed to get a dreaded eighth seed in the NCAA Tournament and closed out a frustrating season by losing big to ninth-seed Wisconsin 85-62 in the first round.

The Tar Heels, who finished 18-11, ran into a hot-shooting Badgers team led by Brad Davison's career-high 29 points which included five of seven three pointers. Wisconsin used the three-point shot - drilling 13 of 27 - to negate North Carolina's size advantage.

Wisconsin broke open a close game with a 13-3 run in the last four minutes of the first half, highlighted by three triples including a late one by Davison that put the Badgers in control 40-24 at the half.

While the shooting did it's damage, UNC coach Roy Williams gave credit to Wisconsin's big men - including seniors Nate Reuvers and Micah Potter, who combined for seven blocked shots.

"Their big guys fought our big guys and blocked shots and made it difficult for us to score inside, particularly in the first half," Williams said.

Coach Williams lost his first opening-round NCAA Tournament game in 30 tries which had included a 15-0 record at the helm of the Tar Heels.

"Basketball can be the greatest game in the world," Williams, in tears, said. "But when you lose, it's like somebody reaches in and grabs your heart and shakes it right in front of you, and just sort of taunts you a little bit."

The Tar Heels, who never led, failed to threaten in the second half as they only managed to get as close as 12 points. Carolina, winners of three of its last four games, went into the game as the favorite over Wisconsin, which had lost four of its previous five games coming into the tournament.

"We couldn't get anything going in the first half especially," said UNC guard Caleb Love. "In the second half we tried to come out with some fire, and we did, but we had dug ourselves such a big hole we couldn't get out of it."

The final margin was the largest North Carolina experienced all season, and it marked the worst NCAA Tournament loss for the program in 31 years, since the 1990 Sweet 16.

Armando Bacot led three Tar Heels in double figures with 15 points while Garrison Brooks, who completed a subpar senior season, scored 10 as did Love.

The season had highs - including a pair of wins over rival Duke and a blowout victory over Virginia Tech - but it had disappointing lows - including the cancellation of games, an embarrassing loss at home to Marquette and a heartbreaking two-point loss at Syracuse.

But nothing was as shocking as the season-ending 23-point loss to Wisconsin, which went cold in its next game and was ousted from the tournament by Baylor, 76-63.

Box Score

North Carolina head coach Roy Williams talks with his players during a time out in the first half against Wisconsin in the first round of the 2021 NCAA Tournament. (Mandatory Credit by UNC Sports Information: Joshua Bickel-USA TODAY Sports)