Off the cuff: That game against Boston College can be categorized as "a win is a win."
Until a stretch where Carolina missed seven in a row while BC was hitting five in a row, the game never seemed in doubt.
In less than a minute and a half, the Heels outscored the Eagles 7-0 to quell the threat.
An eight-point lead these days doesn't normally seem like much but with BC not a threat from beyond the three-point line, it seemed like a game from the '70s. If Dean Smith had an eight-point lead with four minutes to go, that game was over.
The three has changed the game and not always for the better. Coach Davis didn't like settling for the three. Carolina did hit 10 of them but it took 29 shots to get there.
Caleb Love, who did hit a big three late, was only two of 10 from three and seven of 18 overall for 16 points. He was just two of nine in the first half but rallied to go five of nine in the second half.
He also drew a charge late in the game that Coach Davis called the play of the game.
Coach Davis said he talked to Davis about attacking the basket and getting to the free throw line rather than relying on the outside shots. He doesn't want him to stop shooting however.
When you aren't hitting from outside, you need to keep shooting but you need to shoot good shots, Coach Davis said. "Eventually it will go in," he said.
Pete Nance was back in the lineup for this one and he hit a couple of threes early to get the Heels out to a quick 8-2 lead.
Unfortunately, Jalen Washington, who has been getting a lot of playing time, turned his ankle during the shoot around before the game and was not able to play.
Good thing Nance was back. The Tar Heels will need him Saturday too as they host N.C. State, which is playing extremely well right now.
Carolina 72, Boston College 64 UNC never trails in close win over BC
North Carolina, which never trailed, couldn't pull away from Boston College as Armando Bacot tallied his 60th double-double in a 72-64 victory at home. (1/17)
Bacot, who already had 10 points and 12 rebounds at the half, finished with 20 points and 16 rebounds to pace Carolina to the win in a game that seemed to trudge along much of the game.
"Boston College is a very physical basketball team and they make it difficult to get into the offense," UNC coach Hubert Davis said. "A team like that can take you out of your rhythm."
Whether it's pretty or ugly, Coach Davis added, winning a conference game is a great thing.
The Eagles stayed close but could never take the lead as they missed all six of their three-point shots. It was the first time BC failed to hit a three-point shot since 2005 and the first time Carolina held an opponent to no threes since 1990.
Carolina led by as many as nine points in the first half at 21-12 when R.J. Davis hit a three from the right sideline and by as many as 11 points in the second half at 52-41 when Davis swished a three from the right wing. He finished with 18 points.
The Tar Heels hit 10 of 29 three pointers. Coach Davis wasn't happy with settling for so many threes. In fact, half of Carolina's shot were from beyond the arc.
The Heels needed a big three from Caleb Love after Carolina had missed seven shots in a row, allowing BC to pull within a point at 56-55 as the Eagles hit five in a row. The step-back three with 5:20 to go preceded a fastbreak layup by Love and a couple of free throws from Davis that pushed the lead back up to eight at 63-55.
The Eagles were down by just six with 1:16 to before Carolina wrapped it up with a fly-by layup by Davis and a reverse slam dunk by Love after a Leaky Black steal.
Boston College, now 8-11 overall and 2-6 in the ACC, was led by big man Quinten Post's 17 points.
Bacot now has 1,203 career rebounds and needs just 17 more to break Tyler Hansbrough's Carolina career record.
Carolina, now 13-6 overall and 5-3 in the conference, hosts rival N.C. State Saturday afternoon.
