UNC Basketball: Tar Heels shatter Cinderella’s slipper in Elite Eight

The UNC basketball program is headed to the Final Four following a decisive victory over this year’s Cinderella team, the Saint Peter’s Peacocks.

Everybody likes a good underdog story, but the Tar Heels simply weren’t willing to be written into the wrong side of history with the likes of Kentucky, Murray State, and Purdue. That’s the trio of higher-seeded teams that the Saint Peter’s Peacocks, this year’s Cinderella team, beat en route to an appearance in the NCAA Tournament’s Elite Eight.

After coming out of the gates on Saturday evening with a quick 9-0 run, the Tar Heels never trailed, and it honestly wasn’t ever close. North Carolina, 28-9, held a 19-point lead at halftime and then cruised to a comfortable 69-49 victory in punching their ticket to the Final Four for the first time since 2017. It’s their 21st Final Four appearance in the history of the tournament, which is No. 1 all-time.

The Tar Heels were led by a dazzling 20-point, 22-rebound performance from Armando Bacot, his nation-best 29th double-double of the season and 30th double-digit rebounding game of the season. He logged more offensive rebounds (8) than the entire Saint Peter’s team (7).

Brady Manek added 19 points and eight rebounds for the Tar Heels. He hit 7-of-11 shots for the game and 4-of-6 from three-point range. Caleb Love scored 14 points to go along with four rebounds and four assists and his backcourt running mate, R.J. Davis, contributed nine points, four rebounds, four steals, and three assists.

The Tar Heels shot 41 percent (25-for-61) for the game, 27.3 percent (6-for-22) beyond the arc, and 61.9 percent (13-for-21) at the free throw line. They outrebounded the Peacocks by 16 (49-33), assisted on 15 of their 25 made buckets, and committed just eight turnovers for the game.

Saint Peter’s got a team-high 12 points from Fousseyni Drame and 10 from KC Ndefo. No other Peacocks scored double-digit points and they shot just 30 percent (18-of-60) as a team. They finish their unbelievable season with a record of 22-12 and a heck of a lot of memories.

For the Tar Heels, their journey continues with a game against the Duke Blue Devils. It’ll mark the first time that the two blue bloods and bitter rivals have met in the history of the NCAA Tournament.

Follow us @KeepingItHeel on Twitter and like our fan page on Facebook for continued coverage of UNC basketball news, views, and recruiting updates, as well as everything March Madness.