North Carolina picked up its first Quad 1 win of the season on Saturday afternoon at Virginia Tech.

The Tar Heels took care of business, winning 65-57 in front of a hostile crowd in Blacksburg. The win snapped Virginia Tech’s six-game winning streak.

This was a must-win game for UNC, who dropped a home game to Pitt in the mid-week. A loss to Virginia Tech likely would have ended UNC’s NCAA Tournament chances.

Instead, North Carolina picks up its first Quad 1 win and has some momentum going into the final two weeks of the regular season. No team has ever received an at-large berth into the NCAA Tournament without a Quad 1 victory, so this was a critical result.

North Carolina has a second potential Quad 1 win, depending on how Michigan finishes its season. The Wolverines entered Saturday’s games ranked No. 31 in the NET, which is just one spot away from qualifying as a Quad 1 opponent. North Carolina defeated Michigan in Chapel Hill back on Dec. 1.

Caleb Love and Armando Bacot were the standout performers for UNC vs. Virginia Tech. Love scored 21 points and dished out 7 assists. Bacot scored 12 points and grabbed 15 rebounds.

UNC faces Louisville at home on Monday.