UNC shows resilience to end a 12-year winless streak on the road despite facing occasional setbacks.
In Charlottesville, Virginia, Coach Hubert Davis and the entire North Carolina team were acutely aware of their prolonged difficulties when playing against Virginia on the road.
Before Saturday’s match, UNC had suffered eight consecutive losses on the road against the Cavaliers, with their last victory at John Paul Jones Arena dating back to February 2012. Even the pilot of their inbound charter flight acknowledged the team’s more than a decade-long drought upon arrival, wishing them luck as they departed the plane.
Following UNC’s 54-44 triumph over Virginia, the 12-year streak of not winning at Virginia was mentioned one last time in Davis’ postgame press conference. Despite the lightheartedness of Davis acknowledging the end of the streak, he emphasized the significance of the victory, which propelled Carolina back to the top of the ACC standings.
Davis remarked, “It’s hard to win on the road, especially for our program here. The reason being is because Virginia is one of the better teams and programs in the country. We’re very thankful and fortunate enough that we were put in a position to be able to be successful and were able to finish it out today.”
The clash between the ACC’s top-scoring offense and the stingiest scoring defense favored Virginia in some aspects. However, during a stretch of more than 14 minutes in the first half, Virginia struggled to make shots, missing 22 of 23 field attempts. Despite UNC also facing scoring challenges, they managed to keep Virginia at bay.
UNC guard RJ Davis emphasized the importance of maintaining focus during scoring droughts, advising his teammates not to take bad shots and to trust that their offense would eventually come together.
UNC’s offense in the later part of the game heavily relied on second-chance opportunities, with eight of their final 18 points coming from such plays. Armando Bacot, who had been sidelined due to foul trouble in the first half, played a significant role in securing rebounds and adding points in the second half.
Bacot’s performance was particularly meaningful as he played his final college game in his home state of Virginia, with numerous family members and friends in attendance.
The victory, marked by UNC’s lowest scoring output in a win since 2012, showcased their ability to win in a style of basketball that favored their opponents, in their opponents’ home arena. With the 12-year drought now over, the win serves as a significant moment for UNC as they enter the final stretch of the regular season and the ACC title race.
RJ Davis expressed confidence in the team’s resilience and fighting spirit, emphasizing the significance of gritty wins like this one.
