Tuesday's game promised to be a shootout. If UNC wanted to leave Blacksburg with a win, it would have to keep up with the Virginia Tech snipers.
The Tar Heels were able to do just that — and much more.
North Carolina earned their sixth-straight victory on Tuesday, taking down the Hokies, 91-59. The Tar Heels, who rank ninth in the ACC with a team 3-point field goal percentage of 34.6%, shot 54% from behind the arc to pull away from Virginia Tech. They set a season-high with 15 made 3s.
It was only UNC's second win out of their last five games in Cassell Coliseum.
After Virginia Tech nailed a 3 to go up 3-2 early in the first half, UNC responded and set the tone for the night. Its next three field goals came from long range, capped off by a stepback 3-pointer from RJ Davis. Seven of the game's first ten made field goals were from behind the arc.
And with the Tar Heels clinging to a three-point lead at the 3:30 mark of the opening frame, they used the long ball to catapult them on a run they would never look back from. Davis hit another. So did Ian Jackson. In a blink, the Tar Heels entered the break up 46-29.
UNC continued its flame-throwing in the second half. With the score being 54-31 early out of halftime, the Tar Heels hit four-straight long balls to lead a 15-0 run. Jalen Washington got the party started. Jackson hit two more. Jae'Lyn Withers nailed his first of the game.
The lead ballooned to over 30.
Seven different Tar Heels tallied a three-pointer in Tuesday's contest. The UNC basketball program had been heating up from behind the arc over the last few games. And in Blacksburg, North Carolina put on its best shooting performance of the year.
The Tar Heels return home for the regular season finale on Saturday against the team from Durham.