GREENSBORO, N.C. – North Carolina opened postseason play the same way it closed the regular season, which is a positive development for a team that has been defined by inconsistency this season. The sixth-seeded Tar Heels toppled No. 11 seed Notre Dame, 101-59, in a lopsided second-round affair at the ACC Tournament on Wednesday night.
UNC (17-9, 10-6 ACC) leaned on its strength inside and on the boards to take control in building a 50-36 halftime lead. The Tar Heels then blew the game open with a 37-2 run that spanned an 11-minute, 32-second stretch in the second half.
The 42-point margin of victory is the largest by UNC in ACC Tournament history, coming nearly one year to the day that a 81-53 loss to Syracuse set the program record for the largest margin of defeat in the conference tournament.
UNC shot 50.6% from the floor and 37.5% from 3-point range (9-of-24), while holding the Fighting Irish to 31.1% shooting (26.9% 3FG).
Armando Bacot, fresh off his third-team All-ACC selection, led UNC with 20 points on 7-of-10 shooting and 13 rebounds. His eight offensive rebounds are tied for the second-most by a Tar Heel in an ACC Tournament game. Day’Ron Sharpe flirted with a triple-double with 14 points, 10 rebounds and six assists, while R.J. Davis added 14 points on 5-of-9 shooting, including a transition dunk to push UNC into triple digits.
Board Work
By the time the midway point of the opening half had arrived, UNC had already attempted 16 more field goal attempts than Notre Dame (26-10). The Tar Heels doubled up the Irish in the first half in total rebounding (30-15). Their 18-7 edge in offensive rebounds yielded a 19-8 advantage in second-chance points at halftime.
When it was all said and done, UNC had outrebounded its opponent, 54-31, including a 25-15 edge on the offensive glass. The Tar Heels outscored the Irish, 27-13, in second-chance points.
Steady Point Play
A key development hidden beneath the rebounding totals was another solid Caleb Love performance. The freshman point guard has turned in a handful of splash outings, although he’s struggled to string several together.
Love was efficient against Duke on Saturday (18 points, 6-of-12 FG, 7 assists) and was even more so against Notre Dame, scoring 15 points on 6-of-14 shooting (3-of-6 3FG) and dishing out six assists. The 6-foot-4 guard was patient in running the halfcourt offense, while aggressive in transition. He also didn’t force perimeter shots, instead taking a number of open looks and knocking them down.
Any chance of a postseason run for the Tar Heels begins and ends with their point guard, so it’s certainly a positive for Love to shine in his first ACC Tournament game.
Block Party
Walker Kessler (16 points, 12 rebounds) blocked eight shots, setting school records for blocks by a freshman and in an ACC Tournament game. His eight blocks are tied for fourth-most in a game in program history and are also tied for the fourth-most by a Tar Heel for an entire ACC Tournament.
Brooks Out
Garrison Brooks did not play due to a left ankle injury. The senior forward dressed out and did not participate in pregame warmups, but he was never officially ruled out. He also did not practice in the days leading up to the ACC Tournament.
Brooks landed on Matthew Hurt’s foot and rolled his ankle in the early moments of UNC’s win over Duke on Saturday. He limped off the court and into the locker room, but returned later in the half and finished the game with 14 points and five rebounds in 25 minutes.
Highlight Play
?? Kessler DENIAL x2! ??@UNC_Basketball | @GoHeels
??: https://t.co/BjJLxxsDJs pic.twitter.com/iXgobBUhlx
— ACC Men’s Basketball (@accmbb) March 11, 2021
ACCT Notes
UNC improved to 103-48 all-time in the ACC Tournament, including a 41-19 record in Greensboro. The Tar Heels are now 3-1 in second-round action.
Roy Williams is 28-14 all-time in the ACC Tournament. His 28 wins are the third-most in ACC Tournament history.
Up Next
UNC advances to the ACC Tournament quarterfinals and will play No. 3 seed Virginia Tech on Thursday at 9 p.m. (ESPN/2). The scheduled regular season game between these two teams on Feb. 16 was canceled due to a positive test, subsequent quarantining, and contact tracing within the Virginia Tech men’s basketball program. The Hokies (15-5, 9-4 ACC) have played two games in the past 32 days.