Lucas: VT Rapid Reactions

By Adam Lucas

1. Carolina earned that win in front of a very hostile environment. In a game that wasn't artistic, Carolina made just enough plays to win it--and enough free throws down the stretch--to beat Virginia Tech, 65-57.

2. In a game between the two best three-point shooting teams in the league, the game was predictably largely perimeter heavy. The decisive stat was Tech's struggles from the arc, as the Hokies went just 5-26 from three. Carolina hit 8-22 from that distance. The two teams combined to go just 4-for-21 from three in the second half, as offense was hard to come by.

3. Carolina put four players in double figures, led by Caleb Love with 22 points. Love also had seven assists and at one point in the second half, he had either scored or assisted on 13 of Carolina's 18 field goals. The sophomore was clutch at the free throw line in the game's final minutes, making six for six. Love also helped Carolina control the tempo, as the Tar Heels had a 13-0 lead in fast break points.

4. The second half changed when RJ Davis had to leave the game. Davis was attended to by athletic trainer Doug Halverson, although his ailment was unclear. Davis went out with Carolina holding a 12-point lead and 11 minutes left; by the time he came back with 8:34 remaining-on a called Hubert Davis timeout--the lead was down to seven.

5. Leaky Black was very good defensively on Tech's Hunter Cattoor. Not only did Cattoor not score much, he wasn't able to get many shots with Black draped over him. Cattoor, one of the best three-point shooters in the league, finished just 2-for-7.

6. Black and Davis also combined for a huge play with under five minutes to play. In a seven-point game, Black wriggled through the post to get the offensive rebound from Caleb Love's missed three. Davis then worked his way through the lane to find Manek for a big dunk.

7. The inside presences for both teams got more involved in the second half. Armando Bacot had been largely absent in the first half, but Carolina immediately went directly to him coming out of halftime. The big man was locked in an aggressive, talkative battle with Keve Aluma for much of the afternoon. Bacot scored all 12 of his points in the second half and finished with yet another double-double of 12 points and 14 rebounds.

8. Carolina had to face down a raucous Tech crowd, including some language in a couple of student section chants that certainly the national commentators will immediately point out. Even with one home game remaining, the Hokies made Saturday senior day and also made it a blackout, which is a big deal in Blacksburg. Carolina's last few road wins--at Louisville, at Clemson and today--are legitimate solid road wins in front of tough atmospheres.

9. Big win for Carolina's NCAA Tournament credentials. That's a Quad 1 win, which at the moment--with Michigan sitting at #31 in the NET--is the first of the season. It doesn't quite cancel out Wednesday's loss to Pitt, and the Tar Heels need to hold serve at home on Monday, but it's a strong step in the right direction. It would have been very difficult to build an NCAA Tournament case without that win. As a reminder, tickets are available for the two home games remaining in the postseason push.

10. Brady Manek carried Carolina early when the Heels couldn't find much offense. Manek, who was just three for his last 16 from three, hit two of his four trifectas and finished with 14 points. It did look like Manek wore down somewhat physically in the second half, as the only UNC substitution in the second half was the stretch when Davis had to leave. The Hokie bench outscored Carolina, 15-3.

11. The NBA All-Star break afforded Cameron Johnson the opportunity to travel to Blacksburg to watch the Tar Heels--and his brother Puff--in person. Johnson was on the second row behind the Carolina bench. The former Tar Heel sharpshooter ranks fifth in the NBA in three-point percentage at 43.0 percent. Carolina had a pretty good team in the stands, as Johnson was sitting with 2017 national champion Kenny Williams, and 1993 champion George Lynch was also in attendance.

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University of North Carolina Athletics

Players Mentioned

Armando Bacot

Leaky Black

RJ Davis

Caleb Love

Brady Manek

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