Sloppy Tar Heels Clip Overmatched Hokies

The No. 15 North Carolina men’s basketball team sped away from Virginia Tech Sunday night in the Smith Center to claim a comfortable 68-53 victory and with it, improve to 14-4 overall and 3-1 in league play.

With the loss, the Hokies dropped to 8-9 overall and 0-4 in the ACC.

***Listen to the story***

Despite two referee corrections and three blood stoppages, Carolina used a balanced offense and an energetic defense to pull away from a struggling Virginia Tech squad.

But the postgame locker room was by no means full of smiles. The Tar Heels continued to struggle from the foul line, but the biggest issue for UNC head coach Roy Williams was the 17 turnovers.

Coach Williams was so disturbed by the sloppiness that he’s now holding a practice Monday night. The Tar Heels were previously scheduled to have the day off.

“J.P. [Tokoto] and Marcus  [Paige] both turned it over  way, way too much today just like the rest of our team did. Seventeen turnovers is not something good,” Coach Williams says.

***Listen to Roy Williams’ postgame remarks***

Freshman Justin Jackson led the UNC scoring charge with 16 points, while junior Adam Smith had a team-high 11-point contribution for the Hokies.

Jackson, who also snagged a season-high seven rebounds, says he’s feeling more and more confident.

“To see the ball go through the net a couple times today, definitely helped a lot. I’m feeling more and more comfortable. That just comes with time, so I’m ready,” Jackson says.

The result of the contest was never really in doubt, but despite an overmatched opponent, the Tar Heels struggled to force the tempo at times and didn’t look sharp for lengthy stretches.

“I want to lay, but we’re not playing nearly as fast as I want them to play. I think we’re playing very average pace, and I’d like us to play faster for sure. But it is a challenge because the other team is very well coached,” Coach Williams says.

***Click here for the full game photo gallery***

On a positive note for UNC, Coach Williams had ample time to work his entire bench into the game, giving guys like Joel James and Jackson Simmons meaningful minutes.

The Tar Heels jumped out to a quick 7-0 lead just under two minutes into the contest thanks to baskets by Brice Johnson, Jackson and a deep three-pointer by Paige.

But the Hokies started to drain shots of their own and withe 14:12 on thee first half clock, UNC held a slim 12-11 edge.

After a stoppage in play to clean up some profusive bleeding on the court, a couple emphatic slams by Johnson and J.P. Tokoto fired up the crowd and gave UNC a 23-16 advantage with 8:22 to play in the opening half.

Meanwhile, Virginia Tech head coach Buzz Williams, jacket-less and animated, patrolled the sidelines with a zeal that will be welcome in the ACC for years to come. Not to mention, Coach Williams was sweating up a storm and was luckily, armed with myriad towels.

But the real reason for concern for Coach Williams was his team’s inability to knock down shots, even wide open attempts. Yes, UNC was playing spirited defense at times, but shots were also missed, some badly.

At the intermission, the Tar Heels sported a 34-21 lead thanks in large part to dominance on the boards. UNC held a 27-12 edge in rebounds.

A Tokoto steal and finish on the other end set the tone for the second half as UNC continued to play alert, heads-up defense to stifle the Hokie attack.

With 15:53 to play, the Tar Heels held a commanding 40-25 advantage.

From there, Johnson made his presence known with back-to-back finishes around the rim that induced a timeout from the Hokies, who then trailed by 17 points and could never mount a serious rally the rest of the way.

Next up for the Tar Heels is a midweek meeting at Joel Coliseum to face the Wake Forest Demon Deacons Wednesday at 7 p.m.

FINAL BOX SCORE