Armando Bacot, Caleb Love lead North Carolina to big win over Virginia Tech
North Carolina defeated Virginia Tech 78-68 on Monday night, snapping a two-game losing streak in the process.
This was an important win for the Tar Heels, who need to start stacking ACC wins to improve its NCAA Tournament résumé. Like they have been so many other times this season, the Tar Heels were led by Armando Bacot.
Bacot recorded his 10th consecutive double double, grabbing 14 points and 19 rebounds in the win. He’s one of three North Carolina players in history to accomplish that feat.
Caleb Love led UNC in scoring with 22 points on 14 field goal attempts. He also dished out 5 assists and made one steal.
Here’s some highlights from Love’s performance:
Caleb Love with his 6th 22 point game of the year! @UNC_Basketball | @caleb2love
— ACC Men's Basketball (@accmbb) January 25, 2022
Brady Manek (15 points) was also a big contributor as he hit 4-of-8 3-point attempts and grabbed 8 rebounds. Forward Dawson Garcia did not play in this game due to an illness in his family.
North Carolina is now 5-3 in ACC play and back on the right track. The Tar Heels will need to continue taking care of business in Chapel Hill over the coming weeks. UNC’s lack of quality nonconference wins means it will have little margin for error in ACC play.
The Tar Heels are now ranked No. 38 nationally, according to KenPom. They moved up five spots after the win over Virginia Tech.
It’s a quick turn around for UNC, as it plays again on Wednesday against Boston College. Tipoff is at 7:00 p.m. ET.