MENS BASKETBALL

North Carolina 96, Virginia Tech 81

BOB SUTTON
ASSOCIATED PRESS

CHAPEL HILL, N.C. - Armando Bacot had 25 points and 12 rebounds and No. 7 North Carolina led most of the way in a 96-81 victory against Virginia Tech.

RJ Davis added 20 points, Cormac Ryan scored 16 and Harrison Ingram had 12 points and 17 rebounds for the Tar Heels (20-6, 12-3 Atlantic Coast Conference), which lost three of its previous five games.

MJ Collins had 18 points and reserve Mylyjael Poteat scored 15 to lead Virginia Tech (14-11, 6-8), which lost for the fourth time in five games. Tyler Nickel had 14 points against his former team and Lynn Kidd and Hunter Cattoor added 11 points apiece.

Bacot feasted against the Hokies’ foul-plagued front line on the way to shooting 11 for 16 from the field as part of the team’s 51.5% shooting. Davis scored five straight points after Virginia Tech pulled within 79-72.

The Tar Heels matched the most points allowed in the first half (44) by Virginia Tech this season with more than three minutes left before the break on the way to a 50-39 halftime lead.

An early 10-0 run for the Tar Heels helped set the tone. North Carolina ended up with a 43-31 rebounding edge.

TIP-INS

Nickel, a reserve guard who played last season as a North Carolina freshman, hit his first two shots on 3-point attempts and finished with four 3s. … The Hokies and Tar Heels hadn’t met since December 2022 and this was the lone scheduled meeting this season. … Saturday’s result ended Virginia Tech’s two-game win streak in the series.

BIG PICTURE

Virginia Tech: The Hokies, who gave up a season-high point total, made a couple of mini-rallies in the second half, but those weren’t enough to apply pressure on the Tar Heels. The Hokies have been outrebounded in four of their last five games.

North Carolina: The Tar Heels, who maintained a half-game lead in the ACC, needed a get-well outing and this certainly qualified for a team that had risen to as high as No. 3 in the rankings.

VIDEO HIGHLIGHTS

North Carolina athletics press release

February 17, 2024