UNC basketball

2023 - 2 - 25

Post cover — Image courtesy of "The Fayetteville Observer"

UNC basketball beats Virginia to strengthen NCAA Tournament ... (The Fayetteville Observer)

Facing a must-win situation, North Carolina basketball delivered a big-time performance in a win against No. 6 Virginia.

The Tar Heels made 58% of their shots in the first half, including nine 3-pointers, and had eight assists on 15 makes. UNC will have a quick turnaround with a trip to Florida State set for Monday (7 p.m., ESPN). After shooting 6 of 29 (20%) in the four games ahead of Saturday, Nance found his groove with a 7-for-10 shooting performance against Virginia. Davis aided Nance’s first-half surge with 11 points and six rebounds in the first 20 minutes. Pete Nance powered the effort with 22 points and three blocks. Davis endured an 8-for-42 stretch from 3-point range in the first seven games of February.

UNC basketball surprises Virginia to earn key ACC win entering ... (Raleigh News & Observer)

North Carolina Tar Heels upset No. 6 Cavaliers at Dean E. Smith Center in Chapel Hill, NC on Saturday, Feb. 25, 2023. Pete Nance led scoring.

“Whether we make it from 3 or not, it always gives us a chance to be at our best on the offensive end, so that stretch was huge.” “The main thing right now is just staying together as a group and just believing that we can do this,” said guard R.J. It’s only big games and big situations left for the Heels, as they try to avoid being the first preseason No. Nance helped power the Heels’ 9-for-16 effort from 3-point range as they tied a season-high in conference play with 42 points in the first half. This season is far from over, but just excited to get to the next one and keep building this momentum.” Nance said the criticism used to bother him more as a younger player, but he’s largely off social media so he can block out any negativity. It was without question a much-needed confidence booster just one game after scoring a season-low 19 points in the first half at Notre Dame. “That’s the team we are,” said guard Caleb Love. The win marked their first Quad 1 win in the NCAA Net rankings, a metric that will be one of several used by the NCAA tournament committee when selecting teams. 6 Virginia and never trailed in a 71-63 victory in the Dean E. The Heels earned their first win over a top 10 team at home since March 2019 against No. “We finally put in a full game,” said Armando Bacot, who had 11 points and six rebounds.

UNC basketball earns much-needed Quad 1 win (Yahoo Sports)

Time is running out for the UNC basketball program in hopes of making the NCAA Tournament this season. But on Saturday night, the Tar Heels took advantage ...

UNC Basketball: Virginia Game Thread (Tar Heel Blog)

UNC is still in pursuit of their first Quad 1 win of the season as they take on Virginia tonight in Chapel Hill. Beating the Cavaliers would certainly be a ...

Prior to that, they narrowly squeaked out victories against the conference’s worst teams in Louisville and Notre Dame. Virginia comes into this game after getting blown out on the road at Boston College earlier this week. Carolina may need both AND a decent showing in the ACC Tournament if they want to take even a lackluster team dancing.

UNC Basketball: Pete Nance stars in win over No. 6 Virginia (Keeping It Heel)

Thanks in large part to a huge performance from Pete Nance, the UNC basketball program pulled off a much-needed victory over No. 6-ranked Virginia.

He finished the night with 22 points on seven of 10 shooting (4-4 from three) and had four blocks, two rebounds, two assists, and a steal. Nance deserves a ton of credit as well for his performance, as he was flat-out dominant. Give credit to North Carolina for battling through to the finish, as timely defensive effort and clutch free-throw shooting made the difference in securing the victory. Virginia was limited to shooting just under 40% from the floor, as they connected on only four of their 12 three-point attempts. Nance and junior forward Puff Johnson caught fire from beyond the arc, as they connected on all six of their three-point attempts. To put it into perspective, the Tar Heels made just seven total shots in the first half against Notre Dame a few nights ago!

Instant Analysis: UNC Tops Virginia, Delivers on Must-Have Moment (247Sports)

CHAPEL HILL, N.C. — North Carolina's view from must-win corner took a leap into better scenery Saturday night. The Tar Heels toppled sixth-ranked Virginia ...

Later in the first half, Davis buried a deep 3-pointer over Kihei Clark, and UNC was a crisp 8-for-14 from 3-point territory by that juncture. He pumped in eight points during the game’s first 7½ minutes as the Tar Heels led 18-10, on his way to scoring 14 first-half points. Virginia, plagued by more scoring difficulties, went through a drought of 1-for-16 from the field in the second half and never cut the Tar Heels’ lead below six points. Three nights after weathering one of the worst struggles in program history — UNC went just 2-for-23 from 3-point distance (8.7 percent) while surviving at Notre Dame — the Tar Heels unloaded a 9-for-16 start from downtown. Dogged by a prolonged shooting slump, Pete Nance supplied 22 points and four blocked shots, providing one of his best efforts of the season in a spot where UNC (18-11 overall, 10-8 ACC) had to have it here in the stretch run of the regular season. But he didn’t miss from beyond the arc against Virginia, draining four 3-pointers and finishing 7-for-10 from the field.

Men's Basketball Bounces Cavs, 71-63 (UNC Athletics)

Pete Nance exploded for 22 points and RJ Davis posted a double-double as North Carolina beat sixth-ranked Virginia, 71-63, in the Smith Center on Saturday ...

The Tar Heels dropped in 42 points in the first half and led, 42-26, at the break. hit back-to-back three-pointers to open the lead up to 12 at 27-15. UNC's seven field goals in the first 7:23 were two more than the five it scored in the first half of Wednesday night's win at Notre Dame. Nance scored eight of the Tar Heels' first 18 points, hitting his first three field goal tries and his first two three-pointers. UNC struggled offensively for much of the second half, scoring just 13 points in the first 13:42 after the break before a dunk by Nance made it 57-45 UNC with 6:18 remaining. Without us being able to shoot the ball from beyond the arc, it's just not enough space for Armando to go to work, it's not enough space for guys like RJ and Caleb to be able to attack the basket consistently.