In a game that they absolutely had to have, the Tar Heels earned a 67-66 win over Pittsburgh, to snap a two-game losing streak, and improve to 14-10 on the season, and 7-5 in the ACC. RJ Davis hit the go-ahead shot with less than a minute left to give Carolina the lead, and eventually the win, as the super senior enjoyed another quality game, scoring 18 points, on 6-12 shooting, including going 3-5 from behind the arc. Carolina was able to win, despite missing multiple crucial foul shots in the final minute, but they were able to get enough stops and rebounds to come out on top. In addition to Davis’s quality game, Ven-Alleb Lubin added 17 points, his most as a Tar Heel, along with 4 rebounds, in 22 minutes, as he battled foul trouble for the majority of the game. Seth Trimble scored 15 points, on 6-13 shooting, and he led the team with 7 boards. And needing a fourth scorer, freshman Drake Powell added 10 off the bench, and hit multiple big shots from the perimeter, to go with his great defense.
Carolina came out of the gate hot from the field, making 11 of their first 15 shots, to set the tone for a game, where they shot 48% from the field, and 47% from behind the arc. But just like in the first matchup almost two weeks ago, Carolina did endure a scoring drought in the first half, that saw an 11-point lead, end up being just a 3-point lead at the half, at 35-32. In the second half, the game had little to no rhythm, thanks to an officiating crew that took the air out of the ball, and the excitement out of the gym, but Carolina was able to dig deep, and fight through the offensive adversity, to make enough plays defensively to get the win, something they didn’t do on the road in the previous matchup.
Carolina didn’t full-court press, and they didn’t deploy the 2-3 zone that Hubert Davis vowed to play more often, but they didn’t need to, because their defensive intensity was there from start to finish. Pitt only shot 42% from the field, was limited to 24 points in the paint, failed to score a fast break bucket, and was held to just 3 second chance points. After battling the tight whistle the majority of the game, the team stood tall in the final minutes, amid multiple Pitt drives at the basket, defended without fouling, and grabbed the rebounds they needed, to dictate the final outcome.
Both teams entered today’s game among Joe Lunardi’s “First Four Out” for NCAA Tournament consideration, making this game a defacto elimination game. With the win today, Carolina’s hopes to make the Big Dance are still alive, and with the way they closed out the game, confidence is on the verge of being built, meaning today could serve as the turning point for the 2024-25 season:
RJ Davis: The super senior hasn’t had the type of season he envisioned when he announced his return for a fifth year, but he has quietly turned his play around and is starting to play at the level we expected him to all season long. Davis was the best player on the floor today, scoring 16 points, on 6-12 shooting, to go with 2 rebounds and 3 assists. With his team down 66-65, Hubert Davis drew up a play for him and he delivered the go-ahead bucket, that proved to be the winning bucket for UNC. The offense is back to running through him more frequently in the halfcourt, and that’s been a good thing for him, and his teammates. Carolina is going to need him to play like the pre-season All-American he was projected to be, and if does just that, writing this team off wouldn’t be the wisest thing.
Ven-Allen Lubin: Carolina opted to run its offense through the post, and Lubin answered the call, scoring 17 points, on 8-12 shooting. He scored 9 of Carolina’s first 12 points and forced Pitt to switch how they handled ball screen action, featuring a guard, and big man. Lubin may have missed two free throws down the stretch that would’ve made the result easier, but nonetheless, he played his best game as a Tar Heel and may have unlocked a new scoring threat for this team to utilize more often. So much of the paint offense has been guard-reliant, but Lubin proved today that when he gets position on the block, he’s got enough in his bag to put the ball in the basket enough to justify running the offense through him.
Foul Trouble: At this point, you have to feel bad for Elliot Cadeau, who gets the short end of the stick as much as anyone it feels like in the ACC. Cadeau picked up a second foul after being thrown to the ground, and Carolina’s offense immediately stalled. He didn’t pick up his third foul until the second half, but his first-half foul damage limited him to 28 minutes, but he still produced 5 points, 7 assists, and 3 rebounds. He wasn’t the only Tar Heel to endure foul trouble, so did Ven-Allen Lubin, who put together his 17-point, 4-rebound performance in 22 minutes, which makes you wonder how different the game may have looked had those guys not been relegated to the bench for as long as they were throughout the game.
Turnovers: In the loss two weeks ago, UNC turned it over 14 times, and it led to 22 points for Pitt. Today? Just 6 UNC turnovers, which led to only 6 points for the Panthers. Conversely, Carolina forced 9 turnovers and scored 13 points off them.
Ian Jackson: The woes continue for the freshman, who failed to score a single point today, and played just 22 minutes, and only 9 of them in the second half. Credit Hubert Davis for going to Drake Powell in favor of Jackson, but at some point, the freshman needs to get back to scoring the ball like he did at the beginning of January for this team to reach its fullest potential.
Free Throws: had Carolina lost the game, missed free throws would’ve been the reason why, as they were just 8-15 from the foul line. In the final minute alone, Ven-Allen Lubin and Seth Trimble both missed the front end of one-and-one opportunities, allowing Pitt to have a chance to win at the buzzer. You can understand Lubin not making his foul shots, but Trimble is an 84% free throw shooter, and you expect him to convert on the freebies.
Up Next: It’s a quick turnaround for Carolina, as they are back in action on Monday, on the road at Clemson, a game that will play a factor in Carolina’s credentials to make the NCAA Tournament. Tip is set for 7 PM on ESPN.
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