Virginia Tech started off quick with a couple of threes to go up 8-2 but then North Carolina found its three-ball stroke, using it to cruise to a 91-72 home victory.<\/p>\n
After missing their first three triples, the Tar Heels hit seven of nine to get up by 10 midway through the first half at 29-19. Carolina went on to hit a season-high 14 threes in 30 attempts over the Virginia Tech zone.<\/p>\n
Justin Jackson, 26 points, and Joel Berry, 15 points, each hit five three-pointers. <\/p>\n
Jackson hit a pair – one from the right corner and one from straight away – that put the Heels up 29-19 with 9:53 left in the first half. The Hokies never got closer than eight the rest of the way. <\/p>\n
“They came out in a zone, wanting to keep the ball from our big guys inside,” Berry said. “We were able to knock in some threes.” <\/p>\n
A 9-3 run to start the second half forced Virginia Tech to take a timeout. But it didn’t help much. After the timeout, Berry found Kennedy Meeks with a no look pass to get the Heels’ lead up to 19 at 55-36 before the first TV timeout. <\/p>\n
By the midway point of the second half, Carolina had the lead up to 25 after Berry hit a three from the top of the key with 9:51 left. <\/p>\n
Soon thereafter, tempers flaired as the players and a ref ended up in a pile as players fought for a loose ball. <\/p>\n
Virginia Tech just got more frustrated as a Luke Maye bucket inside gave Carolina its largest lead of the game at 26 points.<\/p>\n
The Hokies, led by Seth Allen’s 19 points, were able to get the final margin down to 19. <\/p>\n
While the threes made the biggest splashes during the game, it was the 43-22 rebounding edge, and the accompanying 20 second-chance points, that allowed the Heels to pull away. <\/p>\n
Carolina got up by 15 at 42-27 on a Jackson floater across the lane in the first half before settling for a 44-33 halftime edge. <\/p>\n
Meeks led the way inside with 15 points and a game-high 14 rebounds. <\/p>\n
The Tar Heels, now 19-3 overall and 7-1 in ACC, sit alone atop the conference standings.<\/p>\n
Carolina will go for win No. 22 at Miami Saturday.<\/p>\n