UNC Basketball: Love puts on a show at the Dean Dome

With his standout performance against Elon, Caleb Love becomes the first UNC basketball player to earn the “Tar Heel of the Game” award three times this season.

After six days off due to finals week in Chapel Hill, the UNC Basketball program faced some adversity through the early part of the first half.

Right away, senior Leaky Black was forced to leave the game after the first possession due to a nasty cut on his lip. A little while later, Armando Bacot found himself on the bench, forcing him to sit for 13 of the first 20 minutes of play.

Additionally, the Tar Heels struggled shooting the basketball early, but luckily, sophomore guard Caleb Love stepped up to lead the way.

The sophomore guard scored seven of North Carolina’s first 11 points en route to leading all scorers with 22 points. His performance tied his season-high in points, a mark that he set twice earlier on this season.

Love was efficient with regards to shooting the ball, as he knocked down seven of his 14 shots. He also made four of his seven attempts from beyond-the-arc, as his three point shooting has certainly improved from last season. The sophomore showed his range, as a few of his made threes were from deep (one being very close to the logo at mid-court).

Not only did the St. Louis, Missouri native impact the game by scoring the basketball, he also impacted the game in other ways. He recorded five rebounds, three steals and an assist, and although he had four turnovers to his name, he made a lot of smart basketball plays to help the Tar Heels pick up the victory.

Of course, we would be remiss if we didn’t mention this highlight-reel windmill dunk that Love threw down after one of his steals:

The evolution of Caleb Love has been fun to watch, as he’s playing with a level of confidence that shows he’s very comfortable in his current position. His development since arriving to Chapel Hill has been impressive, as it looks as if he’ll only continue to get better moving forward.

Love becomes the first UNC basketball player to win the “Tar Heel of the Game” award three times this season. Can he make it a fourth time on Tuesday night? Check back after the Tar Heels game against Furman to find out!

Continue to follow the Keeping It Heel team for all the latest news and updates regarding Caleb Love and the UNC basketball program.