GREENSBORO, NC – North Carolina turned a three-point deficit in the break into a 81-73 win over Virginia Tech in the quarterfinals of the ACC tournament. The Hokies came out with extreme physicality that seemed to stun Tar Heels at first, holding them to two offensive rebounds and leading to eight turns in the first half.
Armando Bacot, who was affected by Tech’s physicality in the first half, left in the final 20 minutes with increased aggression. He scored 13 of his 17 points in the second half and picked up five offensive rebounds. He finished with 17 points from 7 of 9 shots with 13 rebounds for the second consecutive double-double and third in the last four games.
The other part of Tech’s defensive plan was closing at Kerwin Walton on the perimeter. The only open eyes he could find were in transition. In the half block, UNC failed to find it open for an easy look. This opened the door for RJ Davis and the freshman owner took advantage. He recorded the season’s record of 19 points out of 6 out of 10 shots with four hits from three points, which is also a season record.
The sequence that allowed UNC to move away was a three-point play, followed by a Davis theft from Tech Hunter Cattoor, and then the conversion of a three-point play. This gave Tar Heels a 56-49 lead with 9:46 remaining. Davis’ final shot beyond the hoop gave UNC an 11 point lead with 1:08 remaining.
UNC coach Roy Williams passed Bob Knight on the all-time winning list (903). Read and watch everything the Hall of Fame head coach said to members of the media after the victory: