Neither team was going down without a fight in the ACC Tournament quarterfinals matchup between North Carolina and Wake Forest, but when the clock hit 0:00 it was the Tar Heels who gutted out a 68 to 59 win – advancing the the semifinals where they’ll face top-seeded Duke.
RJ Davis led the way for UNC with 23 points, while Ven-Allen Lubin and Seth Trimble both added ten.
North Carolina struggled to make baskets early, shooting just 1-9 from the floor to start the contest. Wake Forest jumped to an eleven point lead before the Tar Heels tied the game at 22 with 3:12 remaining in first – eventually heading to halftime with a slim two point advantage.
UNC opened the second period on 9-1 run. Wake responded with a 14-3 spurt of their own – evening the score at 46 with 11:37 remaining. Things got spicy as the two teams traded buckets and fouls down the stretch, but it was the Tar Heels who made more tough plays in the end.
It was the type of gut-checking matchup North Carolina found themselves on the wrong side of earlier in the season.
“There’s a level of toughness here that has been developed over the last seven or eight months that we’ve been together,” UNC head coach Hubert Davis said. “We were in these type of situations earlier in the year and weren’t able to get stronger. We were able to do it today. As a coach, to be able to see these guys perform under pressure and do it together is one of the most amazing things that you can see as a coach.”
Game Notes:
- Carolina won despite shooting a season-low 33.9% from the floor (previous low was 39.0% in a December 7 win over Georgia Tech).
- It was the lowest shooting percentage in a win since 2/24/2024, when the Tar Heels made 32.0% in beating Virginia in Charlottesville.
- RJ Davis tied his season high with five three-pointers and led UNC with 23 points. He also made five threes against Campbell on December 29. It was the 10th time in his career he made five or more three-pointers.
- Ven-Allen Lubin scored 10 points (his eighth straight game in double figures), tied his career high with 13 rebounds and tied his career high with three blocks. He made back-to-back field goals for the Tar Heels in the final 2:00, the first on a lob from Elliot Cadeau and the second on an offensive rebound slam.
- The win was the 100th under Hubert Davis in his 143rd game as Carolina’s head coach. He is the third fastest to 100 in UNC history and sixth fastest in ACC history. Roy Williams (129 games) and Frank McGuire (139) reached 100 wins in fewer games for the Tar Heels.