Led by a 3-point shooting barrage in the first half, the North Carolina men’s basketball team (18-11, 10-8 ACC) defeated No. 6 Virginia (21-6, 13-5 ACC), 71-63, to earn its first Quad One victory of the season.
What happened?
Facing a tight Virginia pack line defense that forces opponents to shoot from deep, the Tar Heels surpassed their 3-point total from Wednesday’s matchup against Notre Dame by knocking down four triples in the first seven minutes. After struggling with his outside shot for most of the season, graduate transfer forward Pete Nance led the way with eight quick points – including two threes from the left wing – to force a Virginia timeout with UNC leading 18-10 with 12:37 to play in the first half.
Following a brief scoring drought, Nance made another shot from 3-point range to put UNC up 21-12 midway through the half. After playing sound defense for the next few minutes, back-to-back triples from newly-inserted junior wing Puff Johnson and an emphatic slam from senior center Armando Bacot stretched the lead to 13 by the under-four timeout.
Junior guard RJ Davis soon got into the act with six points via an off-the-dribble three at the top of the key and an and-one finish in the paint to put the team up 17. Virginia made a series of baskets to close the gap, but with the game clock winding down, Nance pump-faked, stepped-through, and made another three as time expired to give the Tar Heels a 42-26 advantage at the half.
Virginia scored the first seven points out of the break, but a corner triple from graduate wing Leaky Black momentarily slowed all momentum before another finish in the paint put UNC back up 12 at the first media timeout. However, Bacot soon headed to the bench with his third foul, which allowed the Cavaliers to work inside as they attempted to close the gap.
Bacot returned with 11:25 to play and instantly made an impact on the defensive end — shutting down the paint to help the Tar Heels keep the Cavaliers scoreless for the next five possessions. His fourth foul sent him back to the bench with 8:07 to play, but North Carolina still held a steady 12-point lead.
With Bacot off the floor, Nance became the Tar Heels defensive anchor and recorded two weak-side blocks to disrupt the Cavaliers' offensive rhythm. North Carolina soon led by 16 with under four minutes to play, and although Virginia made a last-ditch attempt at a comeback by cutting the lead to eight at the 1:36 mark, the Tar Heels held on to secure a 71-63 win.
