In the final road game of the season, the Tar Heels turned in arguably their best road performance of the season, routing Virginia Tech, 91-59, to earn their sixth straight win, and in the process, improved to 20-11, and 13-6 in the ACC. The Heels turned in another efficient offensive performance, shooting 59% from the field, and 54% from behind the arc, on a season-high 15 makes. Ian Jackson led UNC with 19 points off the bench, on 6-10 shooting, including 5-8 from behind the arc. Seth Trimble was the second-leading scorer, while also coming off the bench, adding 17 points, on 6-10 shooting as well. Of the starters to reach double figures, RJ Davis led the way with 15 points in his final road ACC game, on an efficient 5-6 shooting, and 3-4 shooting from the outside. Drake Powell poured in 13 points on 4-6 shooting, while Ven-Allen Lubin produced his first double-double as a Tar Heel, registering 10 points, and 11 rebounds in 22 minutes of work.
The Hokies were without their leading scorer Tobi Lawal, and it eventually caught up with them, but they made Carolina play for the first 12 minutes of the game or so. The game was tied at 23, and was a 31-28 margin deep into the first half, before a run like we saw on Saturday against Miami, effectively ended the game, as UNC finished the half on a 15-1 run, to take a 46-29 lead at the half. That run would extend to 48-12, to turn a once competitive game, a laughing matter, in Carolina’s latest example of how this team has finally turned the corner.
With the strong finish to the season, Carolina finished 6-6 on the road this season, which didn’t seem likely after blowout road defeats to Duke and Clemson. For the 65th time in program history, the Tar Heels have now won 20 games in a season, and they have achieved 20 wins in each of Hubert Davis’s first four seasons on the Carolina bench.
The win keeps Carolina’s hopes for the NCAA Tournament alive, still needing either a win over Duke on Saturday, or a good showing in the ACC Tournament, to secure themselves a spot in the Big Dance. Here’s what to take away from another dominant outing, that only continues to build confidence on and off the court, for a team that struggled with just that for the majority of the season.
First Half Offense: Carolina scored 46 points in the first half, and shot over 50% from the field, in five straight games for the first time since 2008-09, when the Tar Heels won the national championship. Yes, Carolina shot the ball well for the entire game, but the tone is being set in the first half, with quality shot selection, combined with timely shot-making. For the game, Carolina scored 90 or more in three straight ACC games for the first time since 2018-19.
Assists: Elliot Cadeau set the tone with his passing, assisting on 5 baskets in the first 10 minutes of the game, on his way to 12 assist for the game. On the night, Carolina handed out 24 dimes, on their 33 made baskets, so nearly 66% of their made shots were assisted upon. They are making the extra passes to go from a good shot to a great shot, and they are being rewarded in more ways than one.
Game-Changing Runs: In this current six-game winning streak, Carolina has been able to go on a run that ultimately changed the outcome of the game, and last night was another example of that. It was 23-23 at the under-8 timeout, and 31-28 in the final minutes of the first half, before a 15-1 run to end the half, to give Carolina a 46-29 lead, on their way to a 32-point win on the road. It’s not that long ago, that Carolina was barely able to beat mediocre ACC teams like Notre Dame, and NC State, but in the last three weeks, they have blown out, or controlled opponents for 40 minutes.
Bench Production: The Tar Heels are technically playing the same guys they’ve played all season long, but the production is as high as it’s been, ever since Hubert relegated Seth Trimble and Ian Jackson back to the bench, giving UNC more of a scoring punch. Last night, Carolina’s top two scorers, came off the bench in Ian Jackson and Seth Trimble, as the duo combined for 36 points, as the bench scored 46 points total. With the extra scoring punch off the bench, it has taken the pressure off RJ Davis, and the other starters, to provide as much scoring as possible, which was an issue the first three months of the season.
Fast Break Points: When Carolina turned it up defensively, they did so by getting active with steals and deflections, leading to many run-out opportunities the other way, as Carolina outscored Virginia Tech 17-2. Many times, it was Seth Trimble or Ian Jackson, simply stealing the ball, and running down the other way for a shot at the rim. This team is running the way Hubert Davis said he wanted this team to run back in the preseason when he expressed his desire to be the fastest team in the country, from foul line to foul line.
Rebounding: For the fifth straight game, Carolina won the rebounding battle by double digits, this time it was 38-27, fueled by Lubin’s 11 rebounds. Jae’Lyn Withers added 7 rebounds in the frontcourt, as they overwhelmed the Hokies on the defensive glass, 31-17.
Up Next: Carolina returns to action on Saturday night, when it hosts Duke, in the regular season finale. ESPN's College Game Day will air live from the Smith Center starting at 10 AM, ahead of the 6:30 tip.
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