Lucas: Rapid Reactions

By Adam Lucas

1. Unsatisfying end to a productive stay in Brooklyn. Carolina looked out of gas as early as the first half, with a couple players noticeably lagging and spending part of the game bent over with hands on knees. There's a reason why only one team has ever won four games to win this event, and Virginia lived up to their national top ranking in winning the event for the third time in school history.

2. The key stretch of the game felt like it happened with about five minutes left. Trailing 56-49, Carolina got three stops in a row. But Garrison Brooks missed a layup, Joel Berry forced a shot that didn't hit the rim, and the Tar Heels turned it over. The Cavaliers then got a basket to push the lead to nine points, and against their style of play, that's very difficult to recover from in a small amount of time.

3. It was only fitting for the final ACC game of the year to have an uncharacteristic three-point shooting night from the opponent. Nigel Johnson got Virginia started with eight points in the first half, including a pair of three-pointers. The Cavaliers, a team that averages seven three-pointers per game, knocked in six of them while building a 34-30 halftime lead. They eventually made nine of them, stoking the lead with perimeter success and then just pounding away.

4. The only reason the first half was that close was the return of Luke Maye's shooting touch. The junior scored 15 points in the first half while hitting five of his seven shots and attempting four free throws (he made two). The rest of the team, meanwhile, hit just five of 16 shots and attempted only two free throws. Maye finished with 20 points and seven rebounds.

5. Carolina picked up four offensive rebounds in the first ten minutes of the game but then found the second chances disappear. The Tar Heels got zero offensive rebounds the rest of the first half and had just four more in the final 30 minutes of game action for a total of eight.

6. Against a defensive team like Virginia, you have to take advantage of every opportunity and get every bounce. The Tar Heels had a pair of three-pointers, one by Berry and one by Johnson, that went halfway down and came out.

7. Despite the loss, the Tar Heels achieved some things this week in Brooklyn that will be beneficial in the NCAA Tournament. It seems logical to guess Carolina might now be placed in the Charlotte pod, and have also moved from a two or three seed to a solid two. Those are benefits that could last much longer than winning a fourth game in four days.

8. As will often happen against such a good defensive team, almost everyone had a rough offensive evening. Theo Pinson, who usually makes the offense function, was just one-for-10, although he did have eight rebounds and six assists. Pinson appeared to be forcing things a bit and took some very difficult shots.

9. Virginia shot the ball great from the free throw line, finishing 20-for-22 from the stripe. They also took precise care of the ball, turning it over just four times. With the lead throughout the game, there was no need for them to take chances, and they were very efficient.

10. In the first meeting this year, Carolina managed just 14 points in the paint, a season low. Saturday night's meeting saw them record just 16 points close to the basket. It would have taken an extremely hot shooting night to overcome that type of paint production. Carolina was pretty good from three, hitting 10-of-25 from long range, but needed a couple more to fall to keep it close.

11. Joel Berry continues to leave his name in the Carolina record book. The Tar Heel senior has now played in a school-record 60 ACC victories, eclipsing Nate Britt and Isaiah Hicks. He also played in ten ACC Tournament wins, tying Eric Montross and Derrick Phelps for the school career record.

12. A few days off to get healthy will be useful for Cameron Johnson. The Pitt transfer suffered a couple of bumps and bruises at the Barclays Center, and was on the bench for most of the final minutes against UVA after taking a hard fall on the baseline.

13. If the ACC really wants to return to the Barclays Center, it would be extremely helpful if the facility could have a functioning scoreboard and clock on a regular and consistent basis. There were too many issues for an event of this caliber.

14. Virginia got big production off the bench, with the regular season champion's reserves outscoring Carolina 17-6.

Players Mentioned

Nate Britt

Garrison Brooks

Isaiah Hicks

Cameron Johnson

Luke Maye

Theo Pinson

Related Videos