Virginia tightens grip on ACC lead, keeps defensive clamps on North Carolina

By Gene Wang,

The ninth-ranked Virginia men’s basketball team continued its supremacy over beleaguered North Carolina on Saturday night, parlaying another suffocating defensive performance with timely three-point shooting into a 60-48 win at John Paul Jones Arena.

In extending its winning streak in the series to seven, the Cavaliers (15-3, 11-1) remained comfortably in first place in the ACC by limiting a second consecutive opponent to fewer than 50 points. It’s also the fifth time in six games Virginia has held an opponent to fewer than 60.

Jay Huff had 18 points, 12 rebounds and four blocks to lead three Virginia players in double-figure scoring — three more players than the Tar Heels had in double figures — in one of the Cavaliers’ more physically taxing games. The fifth-year center collected his third double-double of the season.

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Forward Sam Hauser, a transfer from Marquette, added 17 points, making 4 of 6 three-pointers, to go along with five rebounds and two assists as the Cavaliers claimed a fourth straight victory and held an opponent to its season low in points for a second game in a row.

“They kind of demand you to stand in there and be physical if you want to have any kind of success against them,” Virginia Coach Tony Bennett said of the Tar Heels, “and so that’s why I liked what Jay and Sam did. I thought they were physical. And then even the guys who didn’t play a lot that came in, they moved hard, they worked hard, and we were locked in.”

Virginia held the Tar Heels (12-7, 7-5) to 34.5 percent shooting, including just 2 for 16 on three-pointers. North Carolina missed its first 10 shots from behind the arc.

The Cavaliers reached 11 conference wins for a school-record ninth straight season thanks in part to making 10 of 22 three-pointers (45.5 percent) and opening a gaping first-half lead that compelled North Carolina to force shots and gamble, often in futility, on the defensive end.

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The Cavaliers paid close attention to ball security, committing just six turnovers, their fewest in a month. They came in with at least a dozen in their past three games.

In particular, freshman guard Reece Beekman was stout, with a game-high seven assists and one turnover in 32 minutes to offset 0-for-3 shooting. He also had a season-high eight rebounds and helped to stifle Tar Heels freshman point guard Caleb Love.

Love was coming off the highest-scoring game of his career with 25 points but finished with four against the Cavaliers, shooting just 2 for 9 as part of a starting unit that went 10 for 34 (29.4 percent) combined, with guard Kerwin Walton scoring a team-high eight points.

The lead swelled to 43-28 with 13:02 left in the second half on Huff’s third three-pointer. North Carolina managed to get within single digits, 44-35, minutes later, but the Cavaliers went on a 7-2 run capped by Hauser’s fourth three-pointer with 6:28 to play.

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“It’s hard work and preparation for the game,” Beekman said. “We spend a lot of time on the scout and focusing in what we need to do. We’re getting better every game. That’s what I’ve been seeing, so I feel like if we just keep working and doing what we do, we’ll be good.”

There was some uncertainty entering the game regarding the Tar Heels’ roster after video footage surfaced revealing players Armando Bacot and Day’Ron Sharpe attending a party while not wearing face coverings. The celebration took place hours after North Carolina had beaten Duke a week earlier.

North Carolina’s subsequent game Monday night against Miami was postponed only hours before tip-off when both schools agreed they should not play for precautionary reasons.

Tar Heels Coach Roy Williams issued a statement Monday indicating his players, as well as team managers at the party but not shown in the video obtained by the Daily Tar Heel, were aware they made a poor decision “for which they are paying a very significant price.”

During a news conference Friday, Williams declined to address the matter further, telling reporters discipline would be handled internally, fueling speculation he may opt to bench those involved for all or part of Saturday’s game against the Cavaliers.

Bacot ended up playing 24 minutes, Sharpe 19.

“I won’t say I didn’t consider that,” Huff said when asked if he had concerns about facing North Carolina in the wake of virus protocol violations. “But the fact of the matter is they tested every day this week, from what I heard, and I think that if they thought they were good, and our staff felt comfortable with it, then it is what it is.”

The distractions combined with the lengthy layoff for the six-time NCAA tournament champions worked to Virginia’s benefit during the first half. The Cavaliers stormed to a 21-4 with 10:12 to play while limiting North Carolina to 2-for-13 shooting.

Huff proved a significant matchup problem in the early stages, stepping behind the arc for uncontested looks as defenders labored on closeouts before Virginia missed 11 of 12 field goal attempts to close the half. The swoon left the Cavaliers with a 27-18 lead at halftime.