UNC vs. Virginia: Player of the Game - Pete Nance

Last night against sixth-ranked Virginia, Pete Nance had the type of game that was expected from the graduate transfer this season.

For just the second time in ACC play, Nance shot north of 70 percent from the floor. His contributions on offense, especially in the first half, were key in elusive Quad 1 win for the North Carolina Tar Heels.

It may not have been known at the time, but Nance’s three-pointer to start the game’s scoring would set the tone in the first half.

After some back and forth between the teams, UNC almost doubled up UVA with a 34-18 run to finish the first half. Nance was responsible for 11 of those 34 points. He finished the first half with 14 points. His final basket of the first half was the type of fortuitous sequence of events that the Tar Heels have been missing lately:

The Cavaliers would not go quietly into the night. UVA cut into UNC’s 16-point half time lead, and it was not until a Nance dunk with six minutes left that Carolina regained a double-digit lead.

Of course, that was not the end of this battle. However, the Tar Heels were able to make the plays down the stretch to secure the victory.

Nance finished with 22 points to lead all scorers. He was seven of 10 from the floor, including a perfect four of four from three, and he hit all four free throw attempts. Nance added four blocks, two rebounds, two assists, and one steal.

In a close second, RJ Davis tallied his third double-double of the season with 16 points and 10 rebounds.

Along with Nance, Davis powered the Carolina offense through most of the second half and was a critical piece in the UNC defensive effort.