Survive and Advance.
That's exactly what the UNC basketball program did on Thursday afternoon in the ACC Tournament quarterfinals.
In a back-and-forth affair, just like the regular season meeting between the two teams, it was North Carolina that came out on the winning side of this postseason matchup. The win keeps North Carolina's NCAA Tournament hopes alive while the loss all but solidifies Wake Forest's tournament hopes.
The UNC basketball program got out to an ugly start, falling behind 14-3. Fortunately, the Tar Heels would heat up, finding a way to take a two-point lead into the break.
Right out of the gate, North Carolina knocked down four of its first five second-half shots, extending their lead up to 10. Just when it looked like the Tar Heels were ready to pull away, they went ice cold from the floor, missing 16 of their next 17 attempts.
The game was chippy and the officiating was questionable at best, but ultimately, it came down to some clutch moments from some of the Tar Heels veterans.
RJ Davis drained a three-pointer with 2:43 to go to give North Carolina a four-point lead. Still holding onto a four-point lead with just under 90 seconds remaining in regulation, Jae'Lyn Withers missed a three-pointer, one that was rebounded by Ven-Allen Lubin and slammed home on the finish.
Lubin’s putback dunk to put #UNC up 6 with under 90 seconds to play! pic.twitter.com/eCoKsci0kM
— Jordan Falls (@JordanFalls) March 13, 2025
That play proved to be the final dagger.
Davis was outstanding, scoring a team-high 23 points while knocking down five of his six attempts from beyond-the-arc. Lubin had a double-double (10 points, 13 rebounds) while Seth Trimble contributed 10 points of his own off the bench.
For a second consecutive day, the Tar Heels found a way to secure a much-needed victory. They have the chance to do that again on Friday night when they face Duke for the third time this season with a spot in the ACC Championship game on the line.