UNC basketball withstands kick and dustup, holds off Michigan, 80-76
North Carolina needs to be nudged before it’s engaged. Sometimes this season, it has come from facing a double-digit deficit. Other times, it’s been from hearing head coach Hubert Davis telling them they’re playing soft.
On Wednesday night against Michigan, it was the shin or knee of 7-footer Hunter Dickinson jabbing into Caleb Love as he lay on the floor that got the Tar Heels going.
Carolina went on a 19-6 run after the play and held off a late run for an 80-76 win in the Jumpman Invitational in Charlotte’s Spectrum Center.
The Heels (9-4) have completely bounced back from a four-game losing streak that saw the preseason No. 1-ranked team ejected from the Top 25 polls with a four-game winning streak heading into their holiday break. UNC won’t play again until a Dec. 30 trip to Pittsburgh. Maybe then, they won’t have to be needled into playing their best.
“I wouldn’t say we need it all the time, but it’s good for us when our back is against the wall,” Love said. “As far as this group, we’re battle-tested and anything thrown at us, we’re gonna over come it.”
Love was fouled on a drive and as Dickinson stood over him, his extra push with his leg and knee flashing in front of his face prompted Love to stand and confront him. That brought Michigan guard Dug McDaniel over and UNC’s Armando Bacot and shoves were exchanged, but no punches thrown.
“He was kind of like standing over me and I think he was trying to step over me, and I wasn’t going for it and neither were my teammates,” said Love, who scored 18. “Coach preaches us fighting back so whatever has to happen, happened.”
Michigan coach Juwan Howard was quick to come onto the floor to help diffuse the skirmish that happened in front of the Wolverines’ bench. Davis was busy dealing with his bench to make sure no UNC players came onto the court.
When all was clear, the officials gave technical fouls to Dickinson and McDaniel for the Wolverines and Love and Bacot for the Heels.
Michigan led 26-22 before the incident. Afterward though, Carolina knocked down three 3-pointers and Bacot added six points as it took a 41-34 lead into halftime.
“It kind of got us going a little bit, we were already on edge,” said R.J. Davis, who had 19 points and five assists. “It just lit the fire for our team to keep it going and momentum was on our side.”
The run may have been coming regardless of Dickinson’s provocation.
Davis was pretty animated on a couple possessions prior when officials did not call a foul when Bacot was struck in the face while scoring a basket. Although blood was visible in Bacot’s mouth, no foul was called proving the old adage to be false.
“They were sending somebody baseline so I wasn’t able to just do two dribbles and spin, which I would love to do,” Bacot said. “So I really just had to, you know, kind of play with the defense and go middle and then baseline just different things like that, to get to the spots I wanted to.”
Dickinson finished with just nine points and eight rebounds before fouling out. The Wolverines’ best defense against Bacot came thanks to him picking up his fourth foul with 6:46 left in the game. With Bacot sidelined, Michigan pulled within 69-66 when Duke transfer Joey Baker made a 3-pointer with 3:37 left.
Bacot reentered the game and immediately scored and was fouled to make it a two-possession game. But as was the case much of the game, Bacot missed his free throw that would have converted a three-point play.
The Heels entered the game shooting 75 percent from the free-throw line, but made just 15-of-27 attempts against Michigan.
It allowed the Wolverines to stay close in a game that otherwise would have already been put away, and they pushed Carolina down the stretch because of it.
Concord’s own Leaky Black, who had nine points and 10 rebounds in his homecoming of sorts, had a pair of big defensive plays as the Wolverines attempted to rally. McDaniel had the ball in transition heading in for a layup and not only did Black get back to block his shot, as the ball bounced inbounds he collected it and threw it off of McDaniel as he was falling out of bounds to allow Carolina to take possession.
Black also got switched on Dickinson in the post in an obvious mismatch for the 6-foot-9 forward. But Black maneuvered around Dickinson to steal the entry pass as the Heels maintained a precarious three-point lead.
Michigan’s Terrence Williams II made a 3 that made the score 71-69 with 2:17 left. But the Heels wouldn’t allow them to get any closer. Black had an answer with a basket in the lane.
“The way he ended the game, hitting the big shot and then getting those two big stops, I mean, that’s Leaky Black for you,” Bacot said. “And for him to do it in his hometown is special.”
R.J. Davis made a bank shot, Love added a pair of free throws, and Carolina led 77-71 with 36 seconds left and finished off the win. Combined with Saturday’s overtime win over Ohio State, Hubert Davis said he was pleased with the way the Heels have closed out tight games.
“Especially the last couple of games, the execution, the discipline and the details to be able to execute in late-game situations have been absolutely fantastic,” Davis said. “They have done exactly what we have told them to do.”
This story was originally published December 21, 2022 at 9:28 PM.