Virginia (12-3, 4-2 ACC) narrowed the lead to 61-58 with 1:08 remaining, but a dunk by Reese Beekman (13 points) and a steal by Vander Plath sealed the result with 34 seconds remaining. bottom. An inbound pass leads to a breakaway dunk with 21 seconds remaining.
The Ohio mover, Vander Plath, has bounced back from his recent slump, scoring a combined 14 points in his last four games.he also contributed defensively tar heel Only 39% of shots were shot in the second half.
“We tried to get really active and do some different things [in the second half]Virginia coach Tony Bennett said. “…we played Ben [center] Went with 4 security guards. We got good looks, really defended and held ourselves on the glass. I really liked the second half. We were gritty defensively and had good offense. ”
Virginia’s lead ballooned to double digits for the first time at 52-42 when Vander Plath hit a 3-pointer with 9:25 left. Not long ago, Vander Plath assisted freshman Isaac Maneely on a 3-pointer that led to a timeout by Tar Heels coach Hubert Davis.
Vander Plath was so confident in Manneely’s shot that he turned in the opposite direction immediately after making the pass in transition, pointing three fingers down. Mneely scored 11 points on his 3-for-4 3-pointer.
“Obviously the last few weeks shooting and offensively haven’t been the best for me,” he said. Just seeing the first players come in gives a boost of confidence.”
A 3-pointer by Vander Plath with 12:52 left burst to 11-3, giving Virginia its first lead early in the game at 42-40. Franklin scored his two baskets, including a putback he dunked.
“This second half was very important,” Bennett said. “The guys are going to have a hard time all at once, but will you stay loyal and keep playing without getting lost? [Vander Plas]”
RJ Davis led the Tar Heels (11-6, 3-3) with 16 points, but committed four of his team’s 13 turnovers. North Carolina also scored 13 points each from Jalen Washington and Caleb Love.
The Cavaliers faced a significantly drained opponent after Tar Heels forward center Armando Bako landed awkwardly on his right foot at 18:42 in the first half. The 6-foot-11 senior limped off the court with the help of training staff and did not return to the bench.
Last season, Baccott was an All-ACC First Team and finished second in ACC Player of the Year voting. Helped the Heels reach a national title game.
Even without having to contend with Baccott, Virginia closed out the first half with a blistering pace, unable to gain much ground until recovering from a 9-point deficit and ending in a 29-27 tie at halftime. .
After Vander Plath hit a three-point shot from the top of the arc and North Carolina fell back, Kadin Shedrick nailed a two-handed dunk off Kihei Clark’s nifty pass.
Virginia had an opportunity to take the lead in the final seconds when Vander Plath squared for an open three-pointer, but the ball bounced off the rim at the buzzer.
Here’s what else you should know about Virginia’s victory.
Beloved ESPN analyst Dick Vitale made his first appearance at the John Paul Jones Arena since undergoing surgery for vocal cord dysplasia in February. The procedure stemmed from a diagnosis of lymphoma before Vitale announced he was cancer-free in August.
About an hour before tip-off, Vitale took a seat a few rows behind the scorers’ table and donned an orange Virginia hat. He gave a standing ovation to one of college basketball’s most famous voices, much to the delight of nearby fans. Hall of Famer Vitale has been with ESPN since its inception in 1979.
Former Virginia player Justin McCoy jogged onto the court to a chorus of boos when he came on for North Carolina in place of Baccott. After two seasons with the Cavaliers, he moved to one of Virginia’s most hotly contested rivals.
The boos got louder when McCoy touched the ball, and then he had two points and six rebounds in 15 minutes in his first game at the John Paul Jones Arena since leaving for Chapel Hill, North Carolina. bottom.
