The Result: Fourth-ranked UVa got behind early and led by as many as nine in the first half before eighth-ranked North Carolina came back to lead in the second. But the Hoos used a 21-6 run over the game's final 7:25 to win 69-61 in Chapel Hill. The victory moved Virginia to 21-2 (9-2 ACC) on the year.
The Turning Point: After the Tar Heels wiped away UVa's first-half lead during a 17-3 run, the Cavaliers called timeout and then didn't turn the ball over for the final 12:24. During that span, its defense cranked up (UNC made just four of 20 shots from that point forward) and its offense came alive (they made nine of their last 12 shots) on the way to the win.
The Stat That Tells the Story: In a game full of runs, none was more important for UVa than its 12-2 spurt over the final 4:02. Not only did it give the Cavaliers the lead but it made it so the Heels never got close.
Wahoo of the Game: It's Kyle Guy. This one was a tough call between No. 5 and De'Andre Hunter, who also scored 20 points and did it on three fewer shots. But Guy made two more 3-pointers than Hunter and they were both massive shots. The first, with 1:51 left to play, gave the Hoos a bit of breathing room as they went up five. The second, with 1:10 remaining, was the dagger and came off a play where Guy feigned fatigue in the corner and then sprinted to his spot. If there was any doubt that UVa was winning this game it was that shot, the reaction by Guy, and the reaction in the Smith Center that all sealed it as the Cavaliers went up six. Virginia ran two plays late for Guy and he delivered beautifully.
Why did the Cavaliers win it?
The simple answer is that they started playing more like themselves but the more accurate answer is that they stopped turning it over, forced Carolina to take tougher shots, and were able to score consistently. It was a weird game in some ways, with UNC's mini run to start, followed by a big UVa run to take control, and then a Tar Heel response in the second half before Virginia stormed back. To hold Carolina to 61 points—a good 20 points below its average—and 35.4 percent shooting from the field in a game with just 60 possessions is significant. But it was UVa's offense and especially its lack of turnovers that clicked things back into place. Shooting 53.3 percent from the floor and 55 percent from deep didn't hurt, either.
What does this mean for UVa going forward?
Virginia came in on short rest and had two players facing some physical questions, with Mamadi Diakite dealing with concussion-like symptoms in the Duke game and Ty Jerome still playing through his back injury. But Diakite was able to play 23 minutes, scoring six points and blocking three shots, and in 37 minutes Jerome scored 15 and posted 11 assists in his second career double-double. With a few days of rest ahead of Saturday's game against Notre Dame, that's all good news for the Cavaliers in the big picture. Bouncing back from the loss to the Blue Devils with this sort of gritty come-from-behind effort says a lot about the Wahoos. Their offense in the second half, using Hunter in ISO looks in the middle of the floor to help open things on the wings, felt like a March sneak peek and could be their go-to look when things get tight. While the two games in three days may have been taxing, it certainly seems to have given the Hoos a chance to prepare for everything that's ahead of them. Lastly, the increased level of execution on both ends in that second half was very encouraging.
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