By R.L. Bynum
CHARLOTTE — North Carolina did just enough at the end to keep its NCAA hopes alive in an ugly, physical elimination game.
With the season hanging in the balance, the Tar Heels survived going more than half of the second half without a field goal and battled foul trouble to pull out a 68–59 ACC tournament quarterfinal victory Thursday over Wake Forest at the Spectrum Center.
“Throughout each of the timeouts, we brought that up,” Jae’Lyn Withers said about it feeling like an elimination game. “Before the game, we were saying, ‘At the end of the day, regardless of how this game goes, or what they do, or how the refs fall or how we end up playing offensively, let’s play as if this is possibly the last game.’ “
It nearly was the end of UNC’s hopes until the Tar Heels took control in the final 3½ minutes. A huge Withers 3-pointer gave them a one-point lead with 4:35 left to end a field-goal drought of more than 13 minutes. Carolina outscored the Deacons 11–2 in the final 3:14, forcing them to go 1 of 12 to end the game.
“There’s a level of toughness here that has been developed over the last seven or eight months that we’ve been together, and 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,” said Hubert Davis, who became the third-fastest UNC coach to reach 100 wins (143 games) behind Frank McGuire (139) and Roy Williams (129).
Carolina (22–12) gets a golden chance to comfortably secure an NCAA berth in a 7 p.m. Friday semifinal (ESPN) against No. 1 Duke, which will likely play without star Cooper Flagg, who rolled his left ankle in the Blue Devils’ 78–70 victory over Georgia Tech.
The referees lost control of the game and UNC nearly did before Ven-Allen Lubin fueled the late run with half of his 10 points. RJ Davis scored 13 of his 24 points in the second half, overcoming rolling an ankle.
“We showed our maturity; we showed our perseverance with the way we overcame adversity. That’s what tournament teams are,” said RJ Davis, who matched his season high with five 3-pointers. “Early on in the year, we wouldn’t have made that type of run we did the second half like we did today.”
UNC pulled away from a tie game, and Coach Davis said that his team’s experience in that kind of situation was an asset in beating the Deacons (21–11).
“These guys now step towards it, as opposed to standing still or maybe taking a step back,” Coach Davis said. “Sometimes, still, the outcome doesn’t go your way, but down in the stretch, it’s the discipline and details to be able to execute on both ends of the floor. We didn’t turn the ball over, we executed, we scored, and on the defensive end, we defended, didn’t foul and didn’t give them second-chance opportunities. That’s the game.”
After Lubin blocked a Hunter Sallis shot on a drive, Davis sank a 3-pointer to give UNC a four-point lead with 2:36 left. It was the first time in 10 minutes that either team led by more than two points. Cadeau’s alley-oop pass led to one of two consecutive Lubin dunks to shove the lead to six.
“It was just electric, and making plays like that, just knowing that Coach always emphasizes going to the offensive boards, getting us second-chance opportunities,” said Lubin, who registered his third double-double (all in the last four games) with a career-high 13 rebounds. “Just the way I wanted to attack the rim and give our team a chance to give us a win, it was very important that I just had to make those two dunks.”
Lubin was a big reason UNC won the rebounding battle 46–37. He and the Tar Heels battled the game’s physicality and foul trouble, with Lubin and Cadeau each playing the final minutes with four fouls.
“It was obviously frustrating getting those four fouls and just knew that you had to play smart and just not try to play too physical to get your fifth one and to sit out the game,” Lubin said. “We just know it was really important for me to play smart and just stay in it. So, I just made sure I stayed present and just tried to do whatever I can.”
Both teams shot 33.9% (a season-low for Carolina), UNC’s worst shooting in a win since the victory over Virginia last season as the Heels made a season-low 19 field goals. But the Tar Heels’ defense down the stretch won the game.
“We’ve got multiple players in the huddle saying, ‘Whatever it takes, whatever it takes.’ Just to get a stop, whatever it takes to finish the possession with a box-out rebound, whatever it takes to defend without fouling,’ ” Coach Davis said. “Now it’s going from player to player, and they have really bought into it, whether it’s playing defense for five seconds or 30 seconds. Whatever it takes.”
UNC started the game 1 of 7 from the floor as Wake Forest jumped out to an 11–2 lead with 11 consecutive points, and led by 11 on a Sallis 3-pointer.
The offense was sputtering as UNC committed nine turnovers in the first 13 minutes, but the Heels only had three the rest of the way.
Three Seth Trimble free throws and an Ian Jackson 3-pointer — Carolina’s first field goal in more than seven minutes — started a 10–0 UNC run marked by outstanding defense to slice the lead to one.
After the Deacs pushed the lead back to seven, a long Davis 3-pointer and a banked-in Elliot Cadeau jumper — the first consecutive UNC field goals — ignited a 9–0 Tar Heels run to take a 24–22 lead on Cadeau’s transition layup with 2:43 left.
Davis scored all 10 of his first-half points in the last 4½ minutes of the first half, and UNC owned a 33–31 halftime lead on Trimble’s short jumper with eight seconds left.
That Trimble bucket started an 8–0 run after UNC started the second half with layups from Lubin and Cadeau — the latter the Tar Heels’ first fast break points of the game — then Cadeau scored on a drive. Davis’ 3-pointer off of a curl screen shoved UNC’s lead to 10.
Six consecutive Sallis points started a 14–3 Deacons run to take a one-point lead on Cam Hildreth’s inside bucket with 11:55 left as UNC missed seven of eight shots. The teams traded leads in the controversial next few minutes.
After a double foul on Cadeau and Hildreth, Cadeau’s fourth foul, with 8:11 left, Coach Davis angrily walked toward referee Bill Covington Jr., who yelled for him to go back.
Wake Forest’s Juke Harris was called for a flagrant foul for tripping Withers — which Coach Davis got very upset about, yelling, “He tripped him!” to the official — and Withers hit two free throws.
Sallis hit two free throws after a technical foul against UNC assistant coach Brad Frederick.
“That’s just part of the game,” Lubin said of the technical foul. “Those type of situations happen. The five guys on the court just kind of had to stay together, just know no matter what happens, let’s just finish out the game the right way, and make the right plays.”
Sallis led Wake Forest with 25 points, two assists and two steals.
NOTES — Coach Davis is the first UNC coach to win at least 20 games in each of his first four seasons. … Carolina held Wake Forest to 59 points, one game after allowing 56 in the win over Notre Dame. It is the first time UNC has held consecutive opponents below 60 points since a three-game stretch last season (57 vs. Pitt, 55 vs. Clemson and 54 vs. N.C. State). … Drake Powell (1 for 5), Withers (2 of 10), Trimble (1 of 6) and Ian Jackson (1 of 6) combined to go 5 of 22. … UNC is 50–14 in quarterfinal games, five more than any other team. … Carolina is 24–8 in ACC tournament play in Charlotte, winning the title in 1968, 1969, 1991, 1994 and 1998. … The Tar Heels are 170–68 in Charlotte, including 20–3 in what’s now called the Spectrum Center. … UNC is 166–70 against Wake Forest, including 14–8 in the ACC tournament. … UNC is in the semifinals for the fourth time in five seasons. … The Tar Heels are 20–3 this season and 77–10 under Coach Davis when leading at halftime.
No. 5 UNC 68, No. 4 Wake Forest 59
ACC tournament
Spectrum Center | Charlotte
Tuesday’s first round
No. 12 Notre Dame 55, No. 13 Pittsburgh 54
No. 15 California 82, No. 10 Virginia Tech 73, 2 OTs
No. 14 Syracuse 66, No. 11 Florida State 62
Wednesday’s second round
No. 8 Georgia Tech 66, No. 9 Virginia 60
No. 5 North Carolina 76, Notre Dame 56
No. 7 Stanford 78, California 73
No. 6 SMU 73, Syracuse 53
Thursday’s quarterfinals
No. 1 (and No. 1-ranked) Duke 78, Georgia Tech 70
North Carolina 68, No. 4 Wake Forest 59
No. 2 (and No. 13-ranked) Louisville 75, Stanford 73
No. 3 (and No. 10-ranked) Clemson 57, SMU 54
Friday’s semifinals
Duke (29–3) vs. North Carolina (22–12), 7 p.m., ESPN
Louisville (26–6) vs. Clemson (27–5), 9:30, ESPN/2
Saturday’s championship
Duke-UNC winner vs. Louisville-Clemson winner, 8:30, ESPN
| Date | Month/day | Time/ score | Opponent/event (current ranks) | TV/ record |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| October | ||||
| 15 | Tuesday | W, 84–76 | at No. 16 Memphis | Exhibition |
| 27 | Sunday | W, 127–63 | vs. Johnson C. Smith | Exhibition |
| November | ||||
| 4 | Monday | W, 90–76 | vs. Elon | 1–0 |
| 8 | Friday | L, 92–89 | at Kansas | 1–1 |
| 15 | Friday | W, 107–55 | vs. American | 2–1 |
| 22 | Friday | W, 85–69 | at Hawai’i | 3–1 |
| Maui Invitational | ||||
| 25 | Monday | W, 92–90 | Dayton | 4–1 |
| 26 | Tuesday | L, 85–72 | No. 3 Auburn | 4–2 |
| 27 | Wednesday | L, 94–91, OT | No. 7 Michigan State | 4–3 |
| December | ACC/SEC Men’s Challenge | |||
| 4 | Wednesday | L, 94–79 | vs. No. 5 Alabama | 4–4 |
| ————————— | ||||
| 7 | Saturday | W, 68–65 | vs. Georgia Tech | 5–4, 1–0 ACC |
| 14 | Saturday | W, 93–67 | vs. LaSalle | 6–4 |
| Jumpman Invitational in Charlotte | ||||
| 17 | Tuesday | L, 90–84 | No. 4 Florida | 6–5 |
| CBS Sports Classic at Madison Square Garden | ||||
| 21 | Saturday | W, 76–74 | UCLA | 7–5 |
| ————————— | ||||
| 29 | Sunday | W, 97–81 | vs. Campbell | 8–5 |
| January | ||||
| 1 | Wednesday | L, 83–70 | at No. 13 Louisville | 8–6, 1–1 |
| 4 | Saturday | W, 74–73 | at Notre Dame | 9–6, 2–1 |
| 7 | Tuesday | W, 82–67 | vs. SMU | 10–6, 3–1 |
| 11 | Saturday | W, 63–61 | at N.C. State | 11–6, 4–1 |
| 15 | Wednesday | W, 79–53 | vs. California | 12–6, 5–1 |
| 18 | Saturday | L, 72–71 | vs. Stanford | 12–7, 5–2 |
| 21 | Tuesday | L, 67–66 | at Wake Forest | 12–8, 5–3 |
| 25 | Saturday | W, 102–96, OT | vs. Boston College | 13–8, 6–3 |
| 28 | Tuesday | L, 73–65 | at Pittsburgh | 13–9, 6–4 |
| February | ||||
| 1 | Saturday | L, 87–70 | at No. 1 Duke | 13–10, 6–5 |
| 8 | Saturday | W, 67–66 | vs. Pittsburgh | 14–10, 7–5 |
| 10 | Monday | L, 85–65 | at No. 10 Clemson | 14–11, 7–6 |
| 15 | Saturday | W, 88–82 | at Syracuse | 15–11, 8–6 |
| 19 | Wednesday | W, 97–73 | vs. N.C. State | 16–11, 9–6 |
| 22 | Saturday | W, 81–66 | vs. Virginia | 17–11, 10–6 |
| 24 | Monday | W, 96–85 | at Florida State | 18–11, 11–6 |
| March | ||||
| 1 | Saturday | W, 92–73 | vs. Miami | 19–11, 12–6 |
| 4 | Tuesday | W, 91–59 | at Virginia Tech | 20–11, 13–6 |
| 8 | Saturday | L, 82–69 | vs. No. 1 Duke | 20–12, 13–7 |
| ACC tournament Spectrum Center, Charlotte | ||||
| 12 | Wednesday | W, 76–56 | 2nd-round: vs. Notre Dame | 21–12 |
| 13 | Thursday | W, 68–59 | Quarterfinal: vs. Wake Forest | 22–12 |
| 14 | Friday | 7 p.m. | Semifinal: vs. No. 1 Duke | ESPN |
| 15 | Saturday | 8:30 | Final (with Fri. win): No. 10 Louisville or No. 13 Clemson | ESPN |
Photo courtesy of the ACC
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