UNC Basketball: Pete Nance stars in win over No. 6 Virginia

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.

Pete Nance has taken a lot of heat for his play over the last couple of weeks, especially with the UNC basketball program struggling to find a rhythm during that time frame.

However, the graduate transfer continues to work towards being the player he has the potential to be, and put together an outstanding performance on Saturday night to guide the Tar Heels to a major victory over No. 6-ranked Virginia.

Behind a very strong first-half performance, the Tar Heels controlled the game from the tip, leading for 37:50 of the 40 possible minutes. The Cavaliers, who have now lost two straight, did not lead for a single second in this contest.

North Carolina shot the ball extremely well over the first 20 minutes of play, as they tied a season-high with 9 three-pointers made. To put it into perspective, the Tar Heels made just seven total shots in the first half against Notre Dame a few nights ago!

As a whole, the Tar Heels shot a staggering 57.7% from the floor in the first half, including an outstanding 56.3% from three-point land, to take a 16-point lead into the locker room.

Nance and junior forward Puff Johnson caught fire from beyond the arc, as they connected on all six of their three-point attempts. The trio of Nance (14), Johnson (six), and RJ Davis (11) combined to outscore the Cavaliers 31-26 in the half.

The second half wasn’t as spectacular shooting-wise, but you have to give a ton of credit to the Tar Heels for their defensive effort. With Armando Bacot dealing with foul trouble, Nance and Leaky Black really stepped up, combining for eight total blocks between the two players.

Virginia was limited to shooting just under 40% from the floor, as they connected on only four of their 12 three-point attempts. Other than Jayden Gardner (who scored a team-high 19 points), the rest of the Cavaliers struggled to find a rhythm on the offensive side of the floor.

Of course, we would have loved to have seen the Tar Heels pull away with this one, but you have to remember that Virginia is a very gritty team that doesn’t easily go away. 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.

Nance deserves a ton of credit as well for his performance, as he was flat-out dominant. 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. If he can play like this down the stretch, this Tar Heels team has the makings of being a very tough team to beat.

The UNC basketball program has a short break before they take the court on Monday night at Florida State. After overcoming a 25-point deficit earlier this afternoon against Miami, the Seminoles will look to throw a wrench in the Tar Heels’ hopes of making a late NCAA Tournament push.

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