UNC Basketball dominates Boston College in ACC Tournament opener
The UNC basketball program got off to a great start in the annual ACC Tournament, as they defeated Boston College in their second-round contest.
Not only did the UNC basketball program win in its ACC Tournament opener, but they simply dominated throughout.
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The Tar Heels shot just under 55% from the floor en route to a 24-point victory. With the win, North Carolina advances to Thursday’s quarterfinals against Virginia.
In the first half, Hubert Davis’ team got hot from beyond the arc, as they knocked down seven three-pointers over the first 20 minutes of play. However, as the Tar Heels started to pull away, star big man Armando Bacot suffered an injury.
Similar to last season’s tournament injury, the senior rolled the same ankle he injured a year ago. He was forced to miss the final minutes of the first half but returned when the two teams began the second half.
As Bacot told Holly Rowe after the game, he felt like he could give the Tar Heels four to six minutes to avoid giving Boston College, who was only down by 14 at the time, any momentum.
Well, it worked, as the Tar Heels went on a 15-2 run to start the half, a lead that provided plenty of cushion to sit the star big man the rest of the way.
The backcourt duo of Caleb Love and RJ Davis were tremendous in this contest.
Love led all scorers with 22 points, his 11th 20-point game of the season. He did a little bit of everything, as he also recorded four rebounds, three steals, two assists, and a block.
Davis finished the night with 18 points, four rebounds, and three assists. The junior guard knocked down 7-12 shots from the floor, including 4-6 from three-point range.
Pete Nance stepped up big time as well, as he contributed 10 points while being a strong rim protector with four total blocks. North Carolina also got some steady contributions from the bench, as five reserves scored at least two points in the win.
Of course, the focus now turns to Virginia, as the Tar Heels will closely monitor the status of Bacot over the next 24 hours. It’s unlikely that Bacot will sit this one out, but it will remain to be seen just how he’ll feel come tip-off on Thursday night in Greensboro.
Next. Bacot named to Sporting News All-American Team. dark
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