All week long, the talk surrounding Saturday’s top-15 showdown between No. 10 UNC and No. 14 Virginia at the Smith Center focused on the fact that something had to give in a matchup between the ACC’s top offense and its top defense.

Although Virginia did slow the Tar Heels down a bit, Justin Jackson proved to be the perfect antidote for the Cavaliers’ pack-line system—scoring a game-high 20 points in UNC’s 65-41 victory.

With baskets coming at a premium, Jackson was able to use his shooting ability to score 18 of those 20 points in the first half—drilling four three-pointers during that span as Virginia (18-8, 8-6 ACC) struggled to chase him through screens.

Jackson got open for four made three-point shots in the first 20 minutes, helping the Tar Heels put Virginia in a double-digit hole it could never climb out of. (Todd Melet)

UNC used the momentum from those soul-sucking shots to build a comfortable lead that felt much larger due to the slow tempo that Virginia plays at.

On a night where forwards Kennedy Meeks and Isaiah Hicks were the only other Tar Heels to score in double figures, the second half was essentially a formality thanks to Jackson’s early heroics.

He was needed less and less down the stretch, as UNC (23-5, 11-3 ACC) was content to just bang the ball into the post, take the high percentage shots and ensure it came away with the win.

“Because they use up so much shot clock, obviously it wastes more time,” Jackson said of Virginia. “I don’t know if you can necessarily get comfortable against a great team like that, but having a double digit lead against a team like them—it’s a little more than it would be in a normal game.

“I think we did a good job of keeping it going and not settling or letting up.”

What appeared to be a much-improved UNC defense held Virginia to just 28 percent shooting and a 2-for-20 mark from three-point range in arguably one of the team’s best performances of the season on that end of the floor.

Pair the Cavaliers’ style of play with an inability to shoot themselves back into the proceedings and you have the recipe for a blowout—which is exactly what happened in this game.

While Jackson helped the Tar Heels blow the door wide open early on, it was the collective effort on defense that slammed it shut at the end, never once allowing the Cavaliers to come within nine points over the final 20 minutes.

The Tar Heels held Virginia to just 28 percent shooting from the field, including an abysmal 2-for-20 mark from three-point range. (Todd Melet)

Just don’t tell that to head coach Roy Williams, who saw things a little different from his spot on the sidelines.

“We did some good things, but I swear, you guys saw the game,” Williams told reporters afterward. “A lot of times they’ve got a guy wide open in the corner who shoots it then it goes all the way down the hole and comes out.

“I thought we had a sense of urgency defensively,” the coach continued. “I thought we tried to do it, but I don’t think we were as good as the statistics will look like.”

On many occasions—especially early in the game when Jackson was hot–the Tar Heels were able to take advantage of long rebounds from Virginia’s missed threes and turn them into rare transition opportunities against a team famous for keeping things in the half court.

Point guard Joel Berry struggled on offense, scoring just five points on 2-for-9 shooting, but his biggest individual contributions came from his defense on the Cavaliers’ London Perrantes.

The Virginia star finished with just 12 points on 10 shots, and looked discombobulated on a number of possessions–something that then seemed to trickle down to the rest of the visitors.

When informed of Williams’ comments about the team’s defense, Berry said he understood where his coach was coming from but didn’t necessarily agree a hundred percent with the assessment.

Kennedy Meeks had all of his 13 points and seven rebounds in the second half. (Todd Melet)

“Overall, I think we did good,” Berry said. “But I just think the reason why Coach said that is because we can get better on the defensive end, and we just don’t want to get complacent.”

Coming off a 26-point blowout over NC State on Wednesday, this latest domination by the ACC-leading Tar Heels was another example of their ability to adjust to different styles of play—and do it at a high level.

For one night, UNC did its best Virginia impression and kept the Cavaliers from ever finding a rhythm offensively.

Jackson, meanwhile, showed once again how his versatility gives the team a metaphorical Swiss army knife that can create mismatches against any opponent.

After former teammates Brice Johnson and Marcus Paige had their jerseys honored at halftime thanks to All-American seasons in the past, Jackson was asked whether the roll he’s on this year—and the showing he put on Saturday night—has him thinking about having his own moment like that in the near future.

“It’d be a blessing,” Jackson said. “And sometimes I do think about that. It’s just human nature.

“But for me, I try to focus on the “in time,” and just make sure I stay in the moment and continue to work,” he added. “I don’t ever want to settle and feel like ‘OK I’ve had a good season so far, I’m good. I don’t need to keep working.’

“I want to continue to keep getting better.”

Up Next:

The Tar Heels will remain at home for their next game, which will be another huge test–this time against No. 8 Louisville.

Game Notes:

  • Virginia’s 41 points were the second fewest ever by an opponent in the 460 games UNC has played at the Smith Center all-time.
  • Jackson led Carolina in scoring for the 15th time this year. He also added six assists and four rebounds to go along with his 20 points.
  • All of Kennedy Meeks’ 13 points and seven rebounds came in the second half.
  • Roy Williams is now 16-7 against Virginia as the head coach at UNC.

 

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