In a game featuring 46 total fouls and 55 total free throws, the UNC men’s basketball team grinded out a 76-66 win at Boston College on Saturday afternoon. Carolina’s eight-game winning streak is its longest since the 2018-19 season, and the team’s 7-0 start in ACC play is its best since 2015-16.

Carolina earned the win despite zero first-half points from Armando Bacot, who picked up two early fouls against the Eagles’ Quinten Post. In fact, Bacot didn’t even attempt a shot in the opening half. It wasn’t the prettiest 20 minutes from the Tar Heels, who committed nine turnovers, 12 fouls and missed four free throws. Still, thanks to 11 points from R.J. Davis and a powerful alley-oop dunk from James Okonkwo in the final seconds, Carolina took a 34-31 lead into the locker rooms. Boston College had led by as many as six in the opening minutes.

Through even more whistles in the second half, UNC managed to stay in front the entire rest of the way. Bacot made his way onto the stat sheet, scoring 10 points in the half and missing a double-double by a single rebound. Still, his nine boards moved him into fourth place on the all-time Division 1 rebounding leaderboard, which goes back to 1973.

It was Harrison Ingram who ended the day as UNC’s leading rebounder, grabbing 13 boards to go along with 11 points, including a critical three-pointer to give the Tar Heels a seven-point lead with 3:49 remaining. Ingram has eclipsed the 10-rebound mark in four of his last six games. He helped Carolina dominate on the glass, as the Tar Heels outrebounded the Eagles 43-28. No bench player for Boston College grabbed a single rebound.

Davis was Carolina’s leading scorer with 16. Cormac Ryan scored 10 of his 14 points in the second half, though he was one of two Tar Heels – the other being Bacot – to commit four fouls. Three other Tar Heels – Elliot Cadeau, Jae’Lyn Withers and Jalen Washington – each picked up three. Surprisingly, only one player fouled out amid the near-constant whistles: Boston College’s Devin McGlockton.

The Eagles shot just 19-55 (34.3 percent) on the day and 3-17 (17.6 percent) on three-pointers. Boston College came into the game ranked fourth in the ACC in three-point shooting at 36.4 percent. UNC has held its last six opponents to 23-121 (19 percent) on threes.

It will be a quick turnaround for the 15-3 Tar Heels, who are back in action Monday evening when they host Wake Forest at the Smith Center at 7 p.m.

 

Featured image via Associated Press/Mark Stockwell

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