7 quick hits from UNC's gritty road win against Virginia Tech

After the No. 1 team in the nation, Oklahoma, lost to Iowa State earlier in the week, the No. 2 North Carolina men's basketball team had the chance to make a case for the top spot. But first, the Tar Heels had to make it through a scrappy Virginia Tech team on the road. 

After jumping out to a 20 point lead in the first half, the Hokies roared back with an 18-3 run to end the first half and enter the locker room down five, 39-34. Both teams went back and forth for much of the second half, before UNC finally pulled away late for a 75-70 win. 

Here are some takeaways from the win. 

Paige's slump continues

After shooting an abysmal 3-25 the past three games, senior guard Marcus Paige looked to be shaking off his recent shooting woes when he hit a couple of shots in the first four minutes of the game. That proved to be a tease, however. Paige finished 2-10 from the field, including 0-5 from three-point range. Paige continued to make an impact on the game, with seven assists and three steals, but his shot stubbornly refuses to fall. 

Avoiding the upset

All the dominoes were set up for UNC to fall. It was a road game, the game start was moved up and the schedule changed, and because of the icy conditions the stadium was opened up to students, making for a rowdy crowd. Besides Paige's shooting troubles, the Tar Heels in general struggled today, shooting only 37.8 percent from the field. 

Yet even when the Hokies took the lead in the second half, the Tar Heels maintained their composure. Virginia Tech hasn't been an easy draw in conference play so far, boasting a 4-2 ACC record entering the game, including a close loss to Notre Dame and a win against Virginia. Style points matter less in conference play, so the Tar Heels will be more than happy to bus home with a tough ACC road win in the books. 

Brice Johnson

Both Marcus Paige and Brice Johnson have been performing out of character based on the last three years. The difference is Johnson has evolved into a steady, consistent presence in the post, and that appears here to stay. Johnson finished with 19 points, 17 rebounds, and three blocks and three steals. He still occasionally will commit dumb fouls — he sat several minutes in the first half with two fouls as the Hokies melted UNC's lead away — but he's become a much more effective defender and rebounder. 

Foul trouble

Virginia Tech came into the game as one of the best teams in the nation at driving and drawing contact. The Hokies were able to continue that on Sunday, earning 32 free throws. Toward the end of the first half, they forced UNC to go to a small lineup with first year forward Luke Maye playing center because Johnson, Kennedy Meeks and Isaiah Hicks each had two fouls. That stretch resulted in an 18-3 run and was the major reason UNC's 20-point lead turned into five at the half. 

Theo Pinson struggles

Since the beginning of 2016, sophomore wing Theo Pinson is 2-22 from the field. He didn't make his first basket of the year until Wednesday against Wake Forest, then added a dunk on Sunday for his only made field goal of the game. Pinson missed 14 games in his first season because of injury, and that missed time seems to be affecting him now. Offensively, he's either driving into the teeth of the defense or launching a three, neither of which are proving effective so far. 

Balanced offense

Although Sunday's game will likely cause UNC's offensive rankings to drop, the Tar Heels still flashed what makes them arguably the best team in the nation. With Paige missing shots and Johnson in early foul trouble, Nate Britt, Joel Berry and Justin Jackson all stepped up with big baskets for the Tar Heels. Although Berry and Johnson were the only players in double digit scoring, six players average double digits for UNC this season. UNC is deep enough to manufacture scoring even on off days.  

Will UNC be #1?

With Oklahoma dropping to Iowa State, the path appears clear for UNC to advance into the top spot. Kansas, the No. 3 team, lost badly to Oklahoma State on Jan. 19, while No. 4 Villanova lost to No. 16 Providence. The question for voters will be whether UNC's struggles against an unranked Hokie team in a win justify leaving Oklahoma, who's only two losses have come to teams that have at one point or another ranked in the top five.