In a game that was back and forth most of the way with no team having a lead larger than eight points, it was North Carolina that made the plays when it mattered – defeating UCLA, 73-66.
In the first half nothing seemed to go right for the Tar Heels, but they persevered. Caleb Love and RJ Davis started the game shooting a combined 3-15. UNC was out out of rhythm on offense in the first half largely due to UCLA’s defense. The one thing that kept the Tar Heels in the game was their advantage on the glass. UNC had eight offensive rebounds, which led to 12 second chance points. Brady Manek was the only Tar Heel that was effective in the first half, shooting 4-6 from the floor for 10 points. Despite it feeling like UCLA was in control of the game in the first half, the North Carolina closed the period on a 12-6 run and was down just three points at halftime.
The 2nd half was the Caleb Love show. Love, who only made one basket in the first half, changed from his Jordan 11 Space Jams into the Jordan 11 Patones at the break.
“Hoots (UNC’s Basketball’s Director of Operations) told me to change them, because I never play good in the black shoes,” Love said. “So he told me to change them and it worked out.”
Caleb was a different player, scoring 27 points after halftime, including five bombs from behind the arc.
Head coach Hubert Davis said he didn’t notice the shoe switch – adding that he planned to give Eric Hoots a raise.
“I’m going to give him a raise. So just let Hoots know. I didn’t even know he switched shoes. I don’t think it was the shoes. I just think that Caleb played really well. One of the things that I said is that in any game, but specifically in big-time games like this, it has nothing to do with coaching. It’s about players stepping up and making plays. Everybody that played made plays and Caleb made a lot, especially in the second half.”
With UNC down by three with 2:07 remaining in the game, Love hit a big time three-pointer to tie the game off of an Armando Bacot offensive rebound. Jaime Jaquez Jr. missed a three on the next possession and Love hit another three-pointer to put UNC up three with 1:07 left on the clock. After another UCLA miss, Armando Bacot’s tip in with 15 seconds would gave UNC a five-point lead and sealed UCLA’s fate.
North Carolina advances to its first Elite Eight since 2017 and will take on Saint Peter’s, Sunday, March 27, 4:50 p.m. (CBS). This will be the first game ever between UNC and Saint Peter’s.
Game Notes:
- This was Carolina’s 129th NCAA Tournament win, which ties Kentucky for the most all-time.
- Carolina advanced to its 28th regional final. The Tar Heels are 20-7 in regional finals.
- Carolina has won 15 of its last 18 games.
- This was Carolina’s 17th consecutive win against Pac 12 opponents.
- Caleb Love scored a game-high and career-high 30 points. This is the first time in UNC history two different Tar Heels scored 30 points in consecutive NCAA Tourney games (RJ Davis had 30 against Baylor in the second round).
- Love is the 14th Tar Heel to score 30 points in an NCAA game. He scored 27 of his 30 points in the second half.
- Love is the first Tar Heel to score 27 points in a half since Luke Maye had 27 in the second half at NC State on 2/10/2018.
- Love is the third Tar Heel to score 30 points in an NCAA game in Philadelphia. Lennie Rosenbluth had 39 vs. Canisius in 1957 and Al Wood had 39 against Virginia in 1981.
- Love was 11 for 24 from the floor, 6 of 13 from three and 2 of 2 from the free throw line.
- Love’s 11 field goals were a career high (previous nine at Duke in 2021 and against Michigan on 12/1/2021).
- Love’s 24 field goal attempts were a career high and the fourth most ever by a Tar Heel in an NCAA Tournament game (the most attempts since Charlie Scott took 26 in 1969 in a Final Four consolation game against Drake).
- Love’s 13 three-point attempts tied his own UNC record for an NCAA game (also attempted 13 vs. Marquette).
- Love tied his career high and tied the UNC NCAA Tournament record with six three-pointers. He also made six threes at home against Florida State on 2/12 and vs. Marquette in the first round of the NCAA Tournament. Shammond Williams also made six vs. Charlotte in the 1998 NCAA second round.
- Brady Manek passed 2,000 career points. He scored 13 tonight and has 2,002 in his career.Â
- Manek passed the 2,000-point mark on his only field goal of the second half, a three-pointer with 4:23 to play that gave Carolina  a 61-60 lead.
- Armando Bacot had 14 points and 15 rebounds. It was his 28th double-double of the season, which ties the national lead this season and is one shy of the all-time ACC single-season record 29 set by Tim Duncan in 1996-97.
- Bacot has 453 rebounds this season, extending his school record. He passed NC State’s Ronnie Shavlik for the sixth most in ACC single-season history. Shavlik had 451 in 1953-54.
- Carolina made 10 of 31 three-pointers. The Tar Heels have made 13, 11 and 10 threes in the 2022 NCAA Tournament. UNC had never made 10 or more threes in consecutive games in the same NCAA Tournament prior to this season.
- Carolina’s 31 three-point attempts equal the second most in an NCAA game by UNC (the Tar Heels set the school record for attempts in an NCAA game with 35 against Marquette).
- Carolina had 15 offensive rebounds that led to 19 second-chance points (the Tar Heels outscored the Bruins, 19-6, on second-chance points).Â
- Carolina out-rebounded the Bruins, 43-28. UNC is 27-6 this season when winning the battle of the boards.
- UCLA led 31-28 at the half. The Tar Heels are 4-9 this season when trailing at the half. The 28 points were the fewest first-half points in a Tar Heel win this season (previous was 29 against Michigan).
- Carolina led for 8:20, by far the least amount of time in the lead in a win this season. The previous was 15:08 in the overtime win at home over Syracuse on 2/28.
- Carolina is 15-6 in Philadelphia, including 3-0 in the Wells Fargo Center.
