UNC Gains a Quadrant 1 Win Against Virginia
Chapel Hill, NC – In the Dean Center, the Tar heels (18-11, 10-8 ACC) hosted No. 6 Virginia (21-6, 13-5 ACC), which they defeated 71–63 on Saturday, February 25th.
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The win, which serves as UNC’s first Quadrant 1 victory of the season, gives the Tar Heels the much-needed lift to their NCAA Tournament credentials. Moreover, it marked UNC’s first victory at home over a team in the AP top 10 since March 9, 2019.
In a game they had to win, the Tar Heels started strong and put on their greatest first half of the season. The first five minutes of the game were spent exchanging baskets with Virginia, which led to an early 8-8 tie. Following that, the Tar Heels took control for the remainder of the half. The remainder of the first half saw UNC outscore the Cavaliers 34-18, giving them a comfortable 16-point lead.
Leading into the 2nd half, Nance led UNC to the locker room with 14 points, including a buzzer-beating 3-pointer to finish a 4-for-4 long-range performance.
Coming out of the half, UVA improved offensively, embarking on a 10-2 run sparked by Ben Vander Plas’, 8 points, scoring to trim the Heels’ advantage to seven. UNC still maintained its distance from Virginia. During the remainder of the second half, neither side was able to establish a routine on offense before the Hoos attempted a late-game comeback. However, UNC outscored their opponent 30-12 behind the arc.
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Nance contributed 22 points to earn a significant victory and went 7-10 from the field. The fifth-year shot more 3-pointers than ever before in ACC play, and Nance also contributed two assists and four blocks. For UNC, Caleb Love scored 10, Armando Bacot contributed 11 points, and R.J. Davis had his fourth career double-double with 16 points and 10 rebounds.
Jayden Gardner led Virginia in scoring with 19 points and 12 rebounds in the team’s second straight loss.
In its chase of an NCAA Tournament entry, UNC made significant progress. When the selection committee evaluates at-large resumes, quadrant 1 victories are essential, since UNC was previously 0-9 versus other opponents. After a season-low 33% shooting percentage on Wednesday, the Tar Heels defeated Virginia with accurate shooting, connecting 47% of their attempts.
North Carolina will be followed by a fast turnaround as they travel to Florida State on Monday, February 27th, at 7 PM. On March 4th, the Tar Heels will play their last regular-season game against rival Duke at 6:30 PM at the Dean Center.