Jae'Lyn Withers was essentially able to see out of one eye on Saturday night, but that didn't stop the fifth-year graduate student from having his best performance of the season.
Withers scored 19 points, just one shy of tying his career high, as his oiutstanding effort helped guide the UNC basketball program to a much-needed victory over Syracuse.
North Carolina didn't trail in this game but Syracuse made it a nail biter. The Orange had all the momentum, cutting the Tar Heels lead to just one with 8:34 left in the game. Withers wasn't going to let the momentum shift fully in favor of the home team, as he went on a crucial 8-0 run of his own to once again give the Tar Heels a cushion.
Syracuse made efforts down the stretch to close the gap, but the UNC basketball program made sure to hold on tight for this win.
Withers wasn't the only Tar Heel to star in this game, as freshman Ian Jackson had a very nice bounce-back performance. Playing in his home state, Jackson led the Tar Heels with 23 points, including knocking down five three-pointers, as the freshman scored 20+ points for the first time in exactly a month.
This was a game that the UNC basketball program simply couldn't afford to lose, as they found a way to get the job done. Give credit where credit is due: this team showed the fight that we saw from this group earlier in the season.
Now, the job's not finished, as it's crucial to keep stacking wins down the final stretch of the regular season. The UNC basketball program won't need much to motivate them for their next game: a clash at home with NC State on Wednesday night at the Dean Smith Center.