Virginia at UNC: Gameday Live Blog
UNC will look to remain above .500 in the ACC as the Tar Heels play visiting Virginia in the Smith Center.
Carolina lost at Notre Dame earlier this week, 78-73, to fall to 10-4 on the year and 2-1 in the conference, following lopsided ACC wins over Georgia Tech and Boston College.
The Heels were missing three players against the Irish and will get one of them back. Former Cavalier Justin McKoy returns from missing two games due to COVID protocols. He is dressed and going through warmups to play his former team. Sophomore Puff Johnson, who has not played yet this season, is also in uniform and warming up.
The other two UNC regulars are not in uniform for the game. Dawson Garcia will miss his second straight game after entering the concussion protocol following a hit to the head early in the Boston College game, and sophomore Kerwin Walton misses his second straight due to COVID protocols.
Virginia is coming off of back-to-back road wins at Syracuse and Clemson to move to 9-5, 3-1 in the ACC. The Cavaliers have struggled at times this season, losing to Navy, Houston, Iowa and James Madison in the non-conference schedule.
UVA is still one of the nation’s leaders in two-point shooting defense, overall defense and shot blocking rate. Opponents have been able to hit the three against the Cavs’ pack-line defense in recent games, however. Pitt was 8-of-16 from three, and Clemson was 9-of-20 in the last game.
This will be UNC’s first home conference game of the season, as the Heels opened with three straight road games for just the fourth time ever and first since Michael Jordan’s junior year.
Your officials: Bert Simth, AJ Desai and everyone's favorite photographer kicker: Roger Ayers
Your starters: Black, Love, Davis, Bacot, Manek
Bacot with two early tip ins and UNC leads 6-5 at the under 16.
Manek has two early turnovers. Virginia is 1-2 on threes, both attempts by Clark.
All Bacot and Manning so far. They've scored all 15 of UNC's points and are a combined 7-of-11. Rest of team is 0-for-2. We go to the under 12 with UNC leading 15-12.
McCoy enters against his old team and promptly draws a foul
McCoy puts up a shot and draws a second foul, both against Murray.
Beekman gets a pick-two after a bad pass by Harris. Ball bounces to him as he heads back up the floor and he tosses it to Love, who was set up to inbound but not looking. Ball hits him in the side of the head. Unintentional, but Love didn't much like it. Neither did the crowd.
McCoy's second foul takes up to the under 8, UNC up 19-16.
Leaky Black gets tagged with a turnover on a bad pass from Manek that he couldn't handle. Manek clearly not familiar with facing the UVA defense. He should have three turnovers in the first half.
Caleb Love with a burst. Hits a three (after dribbling in place for a few seconds), then gest a steal and a mid-range jumper. UVA calls time after the 5-0 Love run. UNC up 26-20 with 4:10 left in the half.
Carolina heads to the locker room with a 31-25 halftime lead. Heels were led by Bacot (12 points 8 rebounds), Love (10 points) and Manek (7 points)
Manek for three, Bacot with the dunk and UNC is up double digits. Time out UVA. 36-25, 18:04 left
UNC's last double-digit lead over Virginia? Feb. 18, 2017
UNC asserting itself inside. Bacot has 21 and 15. UNC has a 14-0 edge in second-chance points. 26-20 edge in the paint.
Pretty sure everyone on the floor runs a backdoor cut leading to a Bacot dunk. Airball UVA. Manek for three. UVA charge. Suddenly, it's a 16-point lead. Timeout Virginia.
Justin McCoy hits a three against his old team. Carolina in control, up 62-43 at the under 8
RJ Davis gets his first points of the day from the free throw line. He was 0-of-10 from the field, 0-of-5 from 3.
Bacot hits 20/20 for the day
Score is 70-47 as we hit the under 4, with Bacot going to the line. He already has career highs in points and rebounds
That'll do it. Heels snap a seven game losing streak against UVA with a 74-58 win.
