Hopefully the last time we talk about free throws
I promise I want to stop writing about free throws more than you're tired of reading about them.
All of the warnings that came from the UNC's previous games seemed to swirl around in this contest, which became frighteningly close after the Tar Heels opened up a double-digit lead in the second half. Zayden High (ironically) hit two free throws to put Carolina up 11 with 4:00 left in the game. But after Ben Hammond's three-point play, Virginia Tech was only down five with 2:45 left.
From that point on, UNC was 7/8 from the free-throw line, and it's a good thing they were. The Tar Heels only had one field goal during that period, a dunk by Veesaar after the Tar Heels beat Tech's full-court pressure. It would be easy to lose your cool watching Greek freshman Neoklis Avdalas splash yet another stepback three, but UNC made its freebies, with that lone miss coming with just 21 seconds left in the game.
For the game, UNC was a respectable 23/30 from the free throw line, a definite step in the right direction. As a team, you'd like to see them closer to 80%, but Zayden High was a perfect 8/8 after getting battered underneath the rim, so he deserves special praise.
Besides hitting their free throws, the Tar Heels also did a great job at keeping the Hokies off the line. Virginia Tech averages 15.4 made free throws per game. They only attempted 11 free throws last night in Chapel Hill. That's a good thing, because they were a perfect 11/11 from the line. If they attempted as many as UNC did, they'd probably win the game by double-digits.