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GREENSBORO, NC – North Carolina opened the postseason game the same way it closed the regular season, which is a positive development for a team that has been defined by the inconsistency this season. Sixth-seeded Tar Heels knocked down the No. 11 seed Notre Dame, 101-59, in a lopsided second-round affair at the ACC tournament on Wednesday night.
UNC (17-9, 10-6 ACC) relied on their strength on the inside and on the boards to take control of building a 50-36 lead at halftime. The Tar Heels then opened the game with a 37-2 run that spanned 11 minutes and 32 seconds in the second half.
The 42-point margin of victory is the largest by UNC in ACC tournament history, almost a year to the day when an 81-53 loss to Syracuse set the program record for the most large margin of defeat in the conference tournament.
UNC shot 50.6% from the ground and 37.5% from 3 points (9 of 24), while keeping the Fighting Irish at 31.1% shooting (26.9% 3FG).
Armando Bacot, fresh off his third All-ACC team, led UNC with 20 points on 7 of 10 shots and 13 rebounds. His eight offensive rebounds are tied for second by a Tar Heel in an ACC tournament game. Day’Ron Sharpe flirted with a triple-double with 14 points, 10 rebounds and six assists, while RJ Davis added 14 points on 5 of 9 shots, including a transition dunk to push UNC into triple digits.
Board work
By the time the midpoint of the first half had arrived, UNC had already attempted 16 more basket attempts than Notre-Dame (26-10). The Tar Heels doubled the Irish in the first half in total rebound (30-15). Their 18-7 lead in the offensive rebounds gave a 19-8 second-chance points advantage at halftime.
In the end, UNC had passed their opponent, 54-31, including a 25-15 advantage on the offensive glass. The Tar Heels outscored the Irish, 27-13, on second chance points.
Stable point clearance
A key development hidden under the rebounding totals was another solid performance from Caleb Love. The first-year point guard put on a handful of splashy outings, though he struggled to string together several.
Love was effective against Duke on Saturday (18 points, 6 of 12 FG, 7 assists) and was even more effective against Notre Dame, scoring 15 points on 6 of 14 shots (3 of 6 3FG) and dishing on six assists. The 6-foot-4 guard showed patience executing the attack in half-court, while being aggressive in transition. He also didn’t force the perimeter shots, instead taking a number of open looks and flipping them.
Any chance of a playoff run for the Tar Heels begins and ends with their point guard, so it’s certainly an advantage for Love to shine in her opening game of the ACC tournament.
Block Party
Walker Kessler (16 points, 12 rebounds) blocked eight shots, setting school records for blocks by a freshman and in an ACC tournament game. His eight blocks are tied for fourth in a game in program history and are also tied for fourth by a Tar Heel for an entire ACC tournament.
Brooks out
Garrison Brooks did not play due to a left ankle injury. The senior striker dressed up and didn’t take part in the pre-game warm-ups, but he was never officially ruled out. He also did not train in the days leading up to the ACC tournament.
Brooks landed on Matthew Hurt’s foot and rolled his ankle in the opening moments of UNC’s victory over Duke on Saturday. He limped off the field and in the locker room, but came back later in the half and finished the game with 14 points and five rebounds in 25 minutes.
Highlight reading
?? Kessler DENIAL x2! ??@UNC_Basketball | @GoHeels
??: https://t.co/BjJLxxsDJs pic.twitter.com/iXgobBUhlx
– CCA Men’s Basketball (@accmbb) March 11, 2021
ACCT Notes
The UNC improved to 103-48 all-time in the ACC tournament, including a 41-19 record in Greensboro. The Tar Heels are now 3-1 in the second round.
Roy Williams is 28-14 all-time in the ACC tournament. His 28 wins are the third most important in ACC tournament history.
following
UNC advance to the quarterfinals of the ACC tournament and will face No.3 seed Virginia Tech on Thursday at 9 p.m. (ESPN / 2). The regular season game between these two teams scheduled for Feb. 16 has been called off due to a positive test, subsequent quarantine and contact tracing in the Virginia Tech men’s basketball program. The Hokies (15-5, 9-4 ACC) have played two games in the past 32 days.
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