A hot-shooting North Carolina team dominated early, getting out to a 21-2 lead, and put down every Virginia push to win 81-66 in Chapel Hill. (2/22)
It was the third game in a row that the Tar Heels have never trailed. It was also the first time that a Carolina team has scored more than 80 points against a Virginia team in the last 20 games between the two teams.
Five Tar Heels scored in double figures, with recent starter Jae’lyn Withers scoring 16 points and first-man-off-the-bench Ian Jackson matching that total. The two were seven of nine from beyond the three-point line with Withers stroking four and Jackson hitting three.
Both Withers and Jackson hit threes during a 15-0 Carolina run that took the lead from 6-2 to 21-2.
“They were ready to go from from the start,” UNC coach Hubert Davis said of his team, adding that except for some self-inflicted errors it was a flawless first half.
After the big Carolina start, a flagrant foul on Jalen Washington and a technical foul on Withers for taunting helped the Cavaliers go on a 7-0 run.
From that time on, the lead generally hovered in the 12 to 17 point range, with the Tar Heels getting their biggest lead on an old-fashioned three-point play by Jackson with 6:10 to go that made it 77-57.
Over the last five minutes, with mixed results, the Tar Heels burned clock and waited until late in the clock to attempt to score. RJ Davis, who managed 12 points, had an off night shooting as he missed all four of his three-point attempts and went just three of 14 from the field.
“I feel like we’re playing better as a team – one that doesn’t rely on RJ to have a huge night,” Coach Davis said, adding that everybody who plays is contributing.
One of those is Withers, who has averaged more than 14 points over the last three games and led the Tar Heels with 11 rebounds against Virginia. “When JWit is on the floor and he plays well on both ends of the court, he completely changes our team for the good,” Coach Davis said.
The Tar Heels hit 9-for-16 from beyond the arc (56.3 percent) and outrebounded the Cavaliers 32-21 on the way to improving their record to 17-11 and 10-6 in the ACC.
Isaac McKneely’s 17 points led Virginia, which falls to 13-14 and 6-10 in the conference.
It’s a quick turnaround for Carolina, who travel to Florida State Monday night.