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CHAPEL HILL — It doesn’t seem to matter how much Caleb Love struggles with his shot; his determination to figure out how to win a game for Carolina stays strong, and he has a way of changing some games. That happened again Tuesday night when he provided the needed spark after Boston College had cut the Tar Heels’ lead to one with six minutes left.
CHAPEL HILL — Jalen Washington got a crash course about playing extended minutes in a high-level college basketball game. He got through it tired and sore but not before showing why Carolina was so excited that he decided to take his game to Chapel Hill. “I was happy that people can see how talented he is and the potential that he has because we get to see it every day in practice,” UNC coach Hubert Davis said of Washington, who was a four-star recruit.
Carolina fans had always heard a lot about Jalen Washington’s talent, but his knee surgery recovery, followed by limited playing time, didn’t allow them to see it for themselves. When Armando Bacot rolled his left ankle in the first 79 seconds of the game, that gave him a chance to show them and the rest of the college basketball world. His versatile post skills were evident as he helped keep the Tar Heels in the game before No. 13 Virginia led by as many as 10 points in the second half, then held on for a 65–58 victory Tuesday night.
North Carolina learned a lot from a four-game losing streak that ramped up the frustrations and turned the Tar Heels from the No. 1 team to an unranked group looking for answers. All along, a couple of the big answers were there. Get Armando Bacot healthy and gear the offense around getting the preseason ACC Player of the Year and AP All-American the ball down low frequently.
Quarterback Mitchell Trubisky knew after throwing three interceptions a week earlier in a loss that he had to play a clean game if the Pittsburgh Steelers were going to rebound. Mission accomplished. In his first start since Week 4, he led three long, time-consuming drives and was efficient in a turnover-free game to lead the Steelers to a 24–16 road victory Sunday over the Carolina Panthers.
Harrison Barnes’ first four seasons in Sacramento were full of frustration as the Kings never were able to have sustained success. But, with his help, that’s changing this season. Barnes scored 17 points and three 3-pointers with six rebounds Sunday night as the Kings beat the Chicago Bulls 110–101 for their best 22-game start since the 2004–05 season when he was 12 years old.
Photos courtesy of the ACC
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. — Without a fully healthy Armando Bacot and continued backcourt shooting struggles, Carolina has played itself into unfamiliar territory. Already with a right-ankle issue, Bacot tweaked his right shoulder and collarbone in the first three minutes, then got in foul trouble. Even with those challenges, Bacot gamely put up another double-double, but it wasn’t enough on a night Indiana outscored Carolina inside by 26 points.
By R.L. Bynum It took four overtimes and plenty of craziness, but Alabama finally won an epic endurance test for … More
CHAPEL HILL — The model of efficiency through two games is Carolina’s do-everything wing Alyssa Ustby. The talented junior, who showed in the offseason that her talents include kicking field goals at Kenan Stadium, said she was “a little banged up” after her September participation on the United States three-on-three team in Romania and summer workouts. That limited her in the preseason and led to minutes restrictions. She’s making the most of every minute. Ustby scored 14 points in 18 minutes Saturday as No. 12 Carolina (2–0) took control in the second quarter and cruised to a 75–48 victory over TCU (1–1).
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