North Carolina found itself it an ugly, physical battle against Wake Forest but came through with a game-ending 11-2 run to give the Tar Heels a 68-59 ACC Tournament win, sending the Heels to a semi-final game against Duke. (3/13)

Officials, who decided to put away the whistles for long stretches at a time, lost control of the game as one Wake player purposely tripped an opponent, opposing players tangled up for double fouls and the Carolina bench picked up a technical after an obvious foul went uncalled. All the while the crowd and both benches were arguing non-calls or ticky-tac calls after more obvious infractions.

This all led to no flow to the game as both teams went multiple minutes without field goals. At one stretch in the second half, North Carolina went nearly 11 minutes between baskets.

An RJ Davis three with just over 15 minutes to go put the Tar Heels up by seven at 45-38 but Carolina failed to score another field goal until Jae’lyn Withers stroked a three from the left corner to put the Heels up 57-56 with 4:34 to go.

A controversial foul on Jaylen Washington that the Tar Heels felt should have been called on Efton Reed led to a free throw by Reed that tied the game at 57. That’s when Davis and Ven-Allen Lubin took over. During the run, Lubin slammed down two dunks and hit a free throw while Davis swished a three and hit two three throws.

“We were in these types of situations earlier in the year and we weren’t able to be stronger. We were able to do that today,” said UNC coach Hubert Davis, who added that his team has shown tremendous growth during the season. “I’m so proud of how they’ve stayed together and how they have committed to stay the course with perserverance.”

Lubin picked up his second double-double in a row with his two late dunks as he finished with 10 points and 13 rebounds. After the game he said that it was exciting to attack the rim on those dunks at the end but he admitted to being frustrated that he picked up four fouls during the game. The implication was that those battling him didn’t get in foul trouble. “So long as it’s physical and fair, I can rock with it,” he said.

In what could have been his last game as a Tar Heel after five years had Carolina fallen, Davis had one of his better games of the season as he led the Heels with 23 points, hitting five of six threes.

The rest of the team didn’t shoot particularly well. In fact, Carolina’s 33.9 percent from the floor was the team’s worst outing of the season. Seth Trimble was the third and final Tar Heel to score in double figures with 10 points but he was only one of six from the field as his scoring game from the free throw line where he was eight of nine.

Carolina started the game scoring on only four of its first 20 shots but the Tar Heels still somehow managed to rally from a 14-3 deficit to take a 33-31 lead at the half on a tip-in by Trimble.

There were 10 lead changes in the second half and Wake had chances to extend leads but the Deacons missed all 10 of their three-point shots in the second half.

“Whenever they scored, we needed to score,” said Wake coach Steve Forbes. “Our defensive effort was off the charts but when you only hit two threes in 22 attempts, it’s tough.”

Wake’s Hunter Sallis, an all-ACC pick two years in a row, led all scorers with 25 points but he also turned the ball over a game-high five times.

Carolina, now 22-12, plays Duke for the third time this season in the ACC Tournament semi-finals Friday at 7 p.m. A win could punch the Heels ticket to the NCAAs but with a loss Carolina must sit and wait, hoping for other teams around the country to lose.

No. 4 seed Wake Forest, who could still get a bid to the NCAAs or the NIT, falls to 21-11.

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North Carolina got a career-high 21 points on seven threes from Jae’lyn Withers as the Tar Heels led start to finish in a 76-56 rout of Notre Dame in the second round of the ACC Tournament in Charlotte. (3/12)

“JWit is the most comfortable and settled he’s been, and his shot selection is great,” UNC coach Hubert Davis said. “Not only that but his defensive has been elite – rebounding, blocking shots and running the floor.”

The impressive victory helps Carolina’s argument for an NCAA Tournament bid but it’s going to take another nice win over Wake Forest Thursday afternoon and then perhaps another win or two in the ACC Tournament to ensure a bid.

“We’re taking a one-game-at-a-time approach,” said UNC’s RJ Davis, who finished with 13 points. “We can’t look too far ahead. We’ve stayed in the moment even though we hear the bubble team noise.” He said the team playing together and being in the present has helped the Tar Heels move forward.

Something else that’s helped – besides the team’s 13 three pointers – is the inside play of Ven-Allen Lubin, who accomplished a double-double for the Heels with 17 points (all in the paint) and 10 rebounds.

A spinning layin by Lubin gave Carolina its first 20-point lead of the game at 37-17 with 4:36 left in the first half.

The Tar Heels went cold late in the first half, missing seven of their last eight shots of the half, as the Irish outscored Carolina 9-2 over the last three minutes to cut the margin to 14, 43-29 at the break.

After Notre Dame cut it to 12, the Tar Heels didn’t let it get any closer. After a Davis three and another spin move layin by Lubin, the Heels worked the margin back up to 20 at 60-40 midway through the second half.

A Withers three late – his seventh of the game – gave the Heels their biggest margin of the game at 74-50. Withers hit five of his threes in the first half.

Carolina shot 48 percent from the floor – including 13 of 28 from three – while holding Notre Dame to 32 percent – including six of 20 from three.

The Heels held Markus Burton, who averages 31 points a game, to just 11 points.

Carolina, now 21-12, is playing its best defense and offense of the season at the right time despite giving out of gas against Duke in the regular season finale. While taking it one game at a time, the Tar Heels could get another date with Duke if they can defeat Wake Forest and Duke can get by Georgia Tech Thursday.

Notre Dame finishes its season with a 15-18 record.

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North Carolina, using a season-high 15 three pointers, broke open a close game late in the first half and continued the onslaught in the second half, beating Virginia Tech 91-59 on the road. (3/4)

The impressive performance, which included a 36-point lead at one point, included a 19-1 run and a 15-0 run for Carolina. The Tar Heels actually trailed 23-21 with 12 minutes gone in the first half before hitting the accelerator thanks to their defense.

“Defensively we started pressing the basketball and getting steals – Our ball pressure really bothered them,” UNC coach Hubert Davis said. “Offensively, we started taking care of the basketball and getting out in transition.”

Up just 31-28 with under four minutes to go in the first half, RJ Davis and Ian Jackson hit back-to-back threes to start a late run that ended with an old-fashioned three-point play for Seth Trimble and Trimble dunk at the buzzer.

Carolina extended the 46-29 halftime lead with the first four points of the second half. The Tar Heels ended any thoughts of a Hokie comeback when they hit four straight three-point shots over just two minutes of playing time.

Up 54-35, Jalen Washington drained a three from the right corner to start the run before Jackson hit back-to-back threes from the right wing and Jae’lyn Withers finished off the three-point run during what would become a 15-0 run.

The team win was so complete that Davis, who played in his ACC record-tying 169th game, did not play the final 13 minutes of the game. Still, he was one of five Tar Heels in double figures with 15 points.

Jackson, who sank a game-high five threes, led the Heels with 19 points followed by Trimble with 17. Drake Powell added 13 while Ven Allen-Lubin had his first double-double of the season with 10 points and 11 rebounds.

“We are playing our best basketball right now,” Coach Davis said, referring to the six-game win streak. “Something has changed in us – mainly we are more consistently doing the little things.” He said his squad has developed good habits.

“It’s about unity. We are just a bunch of brothers having the most fun we can have,” Trimble said. “But we still have a lot of do.”

Carolina, now 20-11 and 13-6 in the ACC, has a regular season finale with Duke Saturday at 6:30 pm.

Virginia Tech falls to 13-17 and 8-11 in the conference.

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