CHAPEL HILL, NC — North Carolina pulled off a winning counterattack right on cue Tuesday night. The Tar Heels defeated Boston College 72-64 in ACC basketball at the Smith Center, leading throughput and holding off a late Eagles push with the help of Caleb Love’s clutch reaction.
Boston College used a 12-2 run to cut UNC’s lead to 56-55 as Love shook off the struggles that had plagued him and pinned a step-back 3 pointer for some breathing room. Then, as the Tar Heels went in transition, Love threw a pass for Armando Bacot, which BC deflected. Love caught the deflection of his own pass in mid-air and hit the glass, giving the Tar Heels a 61-55 lead and making their way.
UNC (13-6 overall, 5-3 ACC) improved to 9-0 at home this season and 15-1 since the start of the 2010-11 season against Boston College.
Armando Bacot worked hard again with another strong performance, belying the sprained left ankle he sustained in Virginia seven nights ago. Bacot delivered 20 points and 16 rebounds for the Tar Heels and produced his 60th career double-double to tie Billy Cunningham’s school record.
RJ Davis emptied three of his four 3-pointers and delivered 15 of his 18 points in the second half. Davis sunk two free throws with 4:05 remaining to give UNC a 63-55 lead, and BC got no closer than four points from there.
Love pumped nine points during the final 5:21 of the game to finish with 16 points. He had hit only 3-for-11 from the field, including 1-for-6 from 3-point range, before rising in the final 5½ minutes of the game.
Quinten Post’s 17 points and five rebounds and Jaeden Zackery’s 14 points led Boston College (8-11, 2-6). The 7-foot, 250-pound post fouled 4:05 left. He hit the 6-foot-11, 235-pound Bacot low down and got frustrated at times, jawing Bacot in the ear at a second-half moment.
Boston College’s Cold Perimeter Shootings continued here at the Smith Center. The Eagles went 0-to-6 from beyond the arc, marking the first time since November 27, 1990 that a UNC opponent didn’t hit a 3-pointer, a stretch of 1,149 straight games. BC shot 1:16 from 3-point range in the loss to the Tar Heels at Chapel Hill last season.
UNC forward Leaky Black drives through traffic towards Boston College. (Photo: Jim Hawkins / Inside Carolina, 247Sports)Welcome back, Pete Nance
Pete Nance returned to action Tuesday night after essentially missing four games due to a strained back. He took his starting spot alongside Bacot on UNC frontcourt and promptly made two 3-pointers in the first four minutes of the game.
After feeding Bacot at the post and cornering for a catch-and-shoot, Nance’s first launch hit the back edge, bouncing on the backboard and then down through the hoop. That made Nance jump a bit as he backed up to the other end to play defense, almost like a golfer celebrating after coaxing a long putt. Nance ran in transition and surfaced to sink his second 3 after a nice view of the open from Davis.
Nance and Bacot combined for 10 of UNC’s first 12 points. When he wasn’t on the court, Nance wore a black back brace for extra support on the bench of the tar heels. This device had red lights that shone from the back.
Jalen Washington is out with an ankle problem
UNC freshman forward Jalen Washington’s progress was halted Tuesday night by an ankle problem. He wore a warm-up hoodie and warm-up shorts before the start of each half, but did not compete due to the other tar heels becoming detached. Early on, Washington didn’t emerge from the tunnel until about 90 seconds remained on the pregame clock.
A week ago in Virginia, Washington became a revelation with a best 13 points and six rebounds in Bacot’s absence after the big man hobbled off the court due to a sprained left ankle. Washington added six points and three rebounds off the bench as UNC beat Louisville over the weekend.
Next on the agenda
North Carolina stays at home to face rivals NC State on Saturday, who finish their four-game-in-six home streak. The Wolfpack (15-4, 5-3) won Tuesday night at Georgia Tech, earning their seventh win in their last eight games.
UNC started Tuesday night after playing the 10th most difficult schedule nationally, according to Ken Pomeroy’s College Basketball Database. This rating is sure to go down again. The Tar Heels had played KenPom’s fifth-difficult schedule nationally — only behind Alabama, Creighton, Gonzaga and Kansas — before their Saturday road win in Louisville. Boston College and Louisville are KenPom’s lowest-ranked teams in the ACC.