UNC blows out Boston College in ACC Tournament second round

It was evident early on Wednesday night that the good shooting Tar Heels had shown up to Greensboro. The Tar Heels led for all but about two minutes of game time on their way to an 85-61 win over Boston College.

While a win is great, and UNC has to pick up a few wins here if they want to make the NCAA Tournament, all eyes are now on the health of Armando Bacot’s ankle. The big man rolled his balky left ankle in the first half against the Eagles. He got it taped up at halftime and played five minutes in the second half before sitting the remainder of the game that was already well in hand. Hopefully Bacot and the training staff can keep it from tightening up over night so that he’ll be ready to go tomorrow against Virginia.

Caleb Love (22) and RJ Davis (18) combined for 40 of the team’s 85 points with a combined seven made three-pointers. The team made ten threes and shot 55% from the field. Ten different Tar Heels scored and Love, Davis, Bacot, and Pete Nance all finished in double figures. Carolina scored 16 points off BC turnovers and got 23 points from their bench.

The Heels’ 27-point lead against Boston College was their largest against any ACC opponent this season. The large lead allowed Hubert Davis to not only safely rest Bacot with his sore ankle, but he was able to get his starters some rest down the stretch so that they are a little more fresh for tomorrow’s game. That is a luxury Carolina hasn’t seen much this season, and it came at a great time.

We’ve seen the team that showed up tonight a few times down this crucial stretch for the Heels. They seem to play their best basketball when their backs are against the wall. It’s possible that making it to the ACC Tournament championship game would be enough for them to squeak into the tournament, but they cannot afford to drop the ball. They’ll have to bring that same intensity tomorrow against Virginia, particularly if Bacot will undoubtedly not be at 100%.

UNC will have a chance to make it 2-3 against Virginia this season tomorrow night.