Tickets for sale were plentiful in the chill outside the Smith Center Wednesday night, but the show inside was still revealing.

North Carolina remains No. 1 and undefeated. And the 90-61 win over Kent State is about what you’d expect if you saw the score scroll across the bottom of your television screen.

But this game had an unusual feel to it, almost like an early game in the NCAA Tournament. The Golden Flashes came in 10-2 overall and No. 37 in the most recent RPI. The crowd, though still large and listed at 20,356, had the at-the-theater reserve you often find early in NCAA play.

What the fans saw was an illustration of Carolina’s strengths, and its weaknesses, especially in a blistering finale to the first half.

First, Kent State’s Mike Scott grabbed an alley-oop and slammed home a basket with five seconds remaining. It marked Kent State’s ninth straight point in a run that put the Golden Flashes back in the contest.

Carolina coach Roy Williams, his face flush with frustration over the Tar Heels’ lack of defense, wheeled toward the exit as the half was about to expire. He had wanted the Tar Heels to hold for the last shot, but point guard Ty Lawson had a turnover.

“We’re holding for the last shot,” Williams said later. “If you’re holding for the last shot, it’s pretty simple. You should get the last shot.”
Turns out, Carolina did.

Guard Wayne Ellington launched a 26-foot shot from the right side as the rectangle of lights behind the basket went red as the ball left his hand. The shot arched down and in with an astonishing soft touch to give Carolina a 44-32 lead at the half.

Walter Davis would have loved it.

Roy Williams was still steamed about the previous possession.

“It didn’t make any difference,” Williams said. “It didn’t make me any happier.”

On offense, Williams has plenty to be happy about. Tyler Hansbrough is one of the best players UNC has ever had. He had 25 points and six rebounds Wednesday.

Ellington is a magnificent shooter who can do more than stand and shoot. Lawson can be as dazzling at point guard as anyone the Tar Heels have had at the position since Phil Ford.

But defensively, the Tar Heels are not overwhelming.

Carolina loves to push the tempo and struggled to do that against Kent State. The Golden Flashes were ready for UNC’s running game and were constantly back on defense, dug in and ready. Just like in a rugged NCAA game, this contest turned into a halfcourt struggle.

Kent State scored time and again on inside cuts and on powerful moves by 6-8 center Haminn Quaintance. He finished with 20 points and six rebounds and made 10 of his 12 shots.

Quaintance’s ability to maneuver inside illustrated how Carolina is not a great shot-blocking squad. Even last season, with long-armed Brandan Wright at forward, the Heels finished sixth in the ACC in blocks with 4.6 per game.

The Heels came into this game ranked eighth in blocks, at 4.54 per game. They had five Wednesday, all in the second half.

Carolina didn't pull away until the second half, when Lawson said the Heels did a better job of cutting off the passing lanes inside and limiting Kent State's offfense.

Over the course of the season, Carolina must become better on defense to make a run at another another NCAA title.

Kent State was good, and physical, and well-coached.

But there are better teams ahead.

Like Georgetown. And Memphis. And Duke.

Whether North Carolina gets a ticket to the Final Four will rest on whether its defense improves.