story links
By Adam Lucas
1. Frustrating night in Charlottesville as Carolina had some intangible things against it but also missed some key plays in a 65-58 loss to Virginia. As usual, the Cavaliers’ defense is strong — Carolina scored 58 points that game after scoring 59 in one half earlier this season.
2. Pete Nance missed his second full game in a row after missing most of the previous competition with a back problem. Nance did more Tuesday night than he did Saturday at the Smith Center as he dressed, stretched and did some of the warm-up exercises. Playing Tuesday means the Tar Heels have a slightly longer rest period before the next game as they travel to Louisville on Saturday.
3. Nance’s already important absence was made even more crucial when Armando Bacot went down with an ankle injury just 1:18 into the game. With that, Carolina had to shuffle staff again for the rest of the game. They received a huge boost from Jalen Washington, who had 13 points all season and scored 12 in 11 minutes of first-half play and finished with 13 for the game. Washington may have been tired and tried to overdo it during some second-half possession periods, but overall it was a stellar performance and an indication of a player who will be more important for Carolina going forward. With Bacot out, Carolina was actively running games for the freshman in a four-point game with ten minutes remaining. The Tar Heels now have two road ACC losses in which the potential ACC Player of the Year didn’t play – but also came close enough to win both games without him.
4. How important was Washington? Virginia’s big push early in the second half got him off the floor as Carolina went without real off the post for three minutes. The Cavs capitalized on that lineup for a 9-0 run that put them four points ahead. That sequence woke up the sleepy crowd at John Paul Jones Arena and eventually turned into a 17-2 sprint that gave the home side a seven-point lead.
5. With Carolina facing some adversity in the first half – injuries plus foul problems, hitting four different Tar Heels with two fouls and finally RJ Davis with three fouls after a dubious “attack” by Lee Cassell on the touchline with less than 30 seconds to play –Hubert Davis was extremely positive about his team as they recovered from an early deficit and eventually forged a nine-point lead. As officials reviewed a game at 8:44 in the first half, he rallied his team just to tell them, “I’m so proud of you!” At this point, the Heels were relying heavily on younger players in a hostile environment, and the message seemed to be resonating.
6. Virginia had good success getting into the paint early, often via dribbling, and scored eight quick points in the paint in the first eight minutes. But even without Bacot, Carolina’s defense tightened around the perimeter after that, and the Hoos managed just four points in the paint for the rest of the half. At a time when they weren’t shooting well — just 37.5 percent from the field and 18.2 percent from three — it was important to limit their easy chances. The tar heel defense wasn’t as successful in the second half, and Virginia eventually outplayed Carolina 32-20. That helped the Hoos shoot 53.6 percent in the second half.
7. Roller coaster of a game for Caleb Love. He struggled through the first 35 minutes but then caught fire late, hitting a couple of virtually impossible threes. But then, in a three-point game with less than a minute left, he was slammed for a dunk by Reece Beekman and turned the ball around on an inbound pass that resulted in another easy basket. Love finished on 4/13 and had 13 points and five assists…but also four turnovers. In a game with little possession, Carolina’s 13 errors were too many as a team.
8. The free throw line has been a key offensive line for Carolina this year. But surprisingly, it was Virginia who benefited more on Tuesday’s charity flick. While Carolina went off the line just 8-for-12 (Bacot’s absence was important in that category), the Cavaliers made 11 of 19 tries.
9. Important sequence with less than five minutes playing time. Carolina had closed within four points and had two possessions to further close the gap. But Love missed a driving attempt, and then Leaky Black missed a corner three-pointer.
10. RJ Davis continued his steady offensive production. He scored a team-high 16 points. But like Love, he was hit by the turnover bug and committed four of them. Carolina’s starting backcourt ended with a total of six assists and eight turnovers. UNC turnovers were largely responsible for giving Virginia a 10-2 advantage in fast break points, and on a seven-point loss, Virginia’s eight-point lead in that category is looming. Bacot’s absence wasn’t to blame for Carolina’s ball-handling problems.
11. You know, of course, the Tar Heels that get cookies for getting 100 points at the Smith Center. Things are a little different in Charlottesville. Promotion in the arena occurs when the Cavaliers score 67 points.
12. Virginia has now won the last eight against Carolina in Charlottesville. The Tar Heels’ last win here was in 2012.