UNC holds off Pitt late. 3 takeaways from the Tar Heels’ ACC Tournament semifinal win
North Carolina mostly did what it wanted during its ACC Tournament quarterfinal victory against Florida State on Thursday, and the Tar Heels looked every bit as desperate as they said they were to win this event for the first time since 2016. They also made it look easy, and efficient.
It was the opposite here at the Capital One Center on Friday, during UNC’s game against Pittsburgh in the tournament semifinals. Some matchups go well together, with teams playing similar styles or preferred paces; and sometimes, indeed, basketball can be a beautiful game.
Then there was this, on Friday night, and 40 minutes of diving bodies and loose ball scrums and locked arms in the post and big men banging away. It was a test of toughness and will and raw strength. That’s how Pitt prefers it. And from the beginning the Panthers imposed their preferred style and pace. They made the Tar Heels work — for everything.
UNC’s 72-65 victory, then, was all the more satisfying. It came in a particularly hard-earned kind of way, with the Tar Heels prevailing through the bruising and banging and closing the game on a 10-3 run, after the Panthers had tied it at 62 with a little more than four minutes remaining. RJ Davis, the UNC guard, was magnificent down the stretch, and finished with 25 points.
Armando Bacot provided a vintage Bacot kind of game, with 19 points and 11 rebounds.
Three takeaways from UNC’s victory:
Tar Heels show some guts.
They’re not all going to be pretty. And this one wasn’t, for long stretches.
Even better, perhaps, for UNC, given the gauntlet that awaits the rest of this month — and, the Tar Heels hope, early the next. Expect the Tar Heels’ opponents, when capable, to attempt to be as physical as possible during the NCAA Tournament. There’s an enduring perception, regardless of its accuracy, that UNC is all finesse; that if teams get rough the Tar Heels won’t match it.
Well, UNC proved otherwise here on Friday night. Indeed, little about the style or the pace of this game matched its preference. This was a bodies-on-the-floor kind of game; one that at times looked more like boxing or wrestling than basketball.
And the Tar Heels proved they were up to the task.
Speaking of toughness: Armando Bacot and RJ Davis
Time is running out for Bacot and Davis, who have been playing together for the past four years. On Friday, they both pretty much carried the Tar Heels, and willed them toward the finish line.
Pitt defended Davis well, but he still got his points — and his 3-pointer with four minutes left broke a 62-62 tie, and felt monumental in the moment. So did another one of his 3s a couple minutes later, which gave UNC a 69-62 lead with two minutes left. Nothing came easily for him (note the theme there) and yet Davis somehow managed to capitalize on whatever opportunities he created.
And then there was his longtime teammate. While Davis has the option to come back next year, this really is it for Bacot. He battled with whatever big body Pitt put on him, and there were a few, and finished with another double-double. It was one of Bacot’s better games of the season, given the stakes and the stage.
With 1:14 remaining, and UNC leading by seven, Bacot and Davis had scored the Tar Heels’ previous 15 points. They wound up scoring the Tar Heels’ final 18 points. UNC needs them to be in peak form if it’s going to fulfill its potential over the next few weeks. Friday, then, boded well.
On to the championship game
The Tar Heels made the necessary plays late Friday, on both sides. Davis hit those two huge 3-pointers. Defensively, they toughened up and got stops. UNC scored the next seven points after the game was tied at 62 with about 4 1/2 minutes to play.
UNC coach Hubert Davis said after his team’s victory at Duke last week that he believes in his team’s toughness. It has been a tough, resilient team throughout the season, he said. This, though, was among the Tar Heels’ grittiest victories.
It puts them back in the ACC Tournament championship game for the first time since 2018. UNC will be seeking its first tournament title since 2016. It has been a long time — thus the desperation. A conference tournament title, too, would be especially meaningful for this particular group.
This story was originally published March 15, 2024 at 9:14 PM.
