Carolina used a red-hot start to roll past Virginia at the Smith Center on Saturday evening and win 81-66. It’s UNC’s third straight win and its fourth in its last five games.

The Tar Heels exploded out of the gates, leading 21-2 after just 8:28 of game time. During that stretch, Carolina shot 8-12 while holding Virginia to just 1-10. The Cavaliers didn’t record a single rebound until the 12:27 mark and turned the ball over four times during the opening blitz.

“We were locked in on defense,” said Ian Jackson, who finished tied for the team lead with 16 points. “Defensively, we took the challenge, went out there and competed. We swung first. We let them know from the beginning what kind of game we wanted it to be and what we wanted to do. From the jump, we let them know.”

“I think our attention to detail has been more consistent,” head coach Hubert Davis said after the game. “Defensively, we’ve been better and consistent. Getting to the offensive glass has been a huge change for us… we had 17 second-chance points.”

The Cavaliers never got closer than seven points for the rest of the game, though they finished the first half by making 11 of their last 14 shots after the catastrophic start. Isaac McKneely, Virginia leading scorer, finished with 17 points, though he was harassed for much of the game by freshman wing Drake Powell.

“I always want to guard the opposing team’s best player,” Powell said.

Powell once again joined Jae’Lyn Withers in a bigger starting lineup for Carolina, one which saw Powell start on the wing and Withers inhabit the power forward position. Withers once again made the move pay off, registering his second double-double of the season with 16 points and a team-high 11 rebounds. In his last three games, Withers is averaging 14.3 points per game and is shooting 9-14 (64.2 percent) on three-pointers. UNC’s team three-point percentage of 56.3 (9-16) is its highest in a game since 2022.

“There’s no second thoughts out there,” Withers said of his recent run of play. “Any time I can get the ball up… I think it’s a good shot.”

The Tar Heels never trailed on the day and have not trailed at any point in the last three games, the first such streak since the 2018-19 season. Saturday also marked the first time Carolina has scored at least 80 points against Virginia since 2013.

The win improves UNC to 17-11 overall and 10-6 in ACC play. The Tar Heels will be back in action when they visit Florida State in Tallahassee Monday night at 7 p.m.

 

Featured image via Todd Melet. For a full photo gallery of the game, click here.

Chapelboro.com does not charge subscription fees, and you can directly support our efforts in local journalism here. Want more of what you see on Chapelboro? Let us bring free local news and community information to you by signing up for our newsletter.

Related Stories
‹
LEGOs, Stoicism and Basketball: UNC's Caleb Wilson is the Most Interesting Man in the World
Every morning, UNC freshman Caleb Wilson wakes up and reads Stoicism. “I feel like it’s beneficial to your mental health,” he said during a wide-ranging press conference at the Dean Smith Center Thursday afternoon. “I feel like it makes me approach the days differently […]
UNC's Drake Powell Declares for NBA Draft
UNC freshman wing Drake Powell has declared for the 2025 NBA Draft. Powell made the announcement on his Instagram page Wednesday afternoon. View this post on Instagram A post shared by D R I Z Z Y (@drakepoww) While playing at Pittsboro’s Northwood High School, Powell became a five-star prospect across all major recruiting services. […]
Here's a List of Who is Transferring Out of the UNC Men's Basketball Program (2025)
The college basketball transfer portal opened March 24, and several Tar Heels have entered their names in. Here’s a list of which players have expressed their intention to leave Chapel Hill this offseason: F Ven-Allen Lubin Lubin announced his entry into the portal April 21, but with a catch: the big man said his “full […]
Seth Trimble Confirms His Return for A Senior Season With UNC Men's Basketball
Guard Seth Trimble posted on Instagram with the UNC men's basketball account Tuesday confirming he is planning to play a fourth season in Carolina blue.
'We've Got to Get Bigger': Highlights from Hubert Davis' Final Radio Show of the Season
UNC men’s basketball head coach Hubert Davis recorded his final radio show of the season Wednesday night. Davis addressed multiple topics during the hour-long broadcast, including next steps for his program, goals in the transfer portal and his recruiting process during the offseason. Here are some of Davis’ comments, which have been lightly edited for […]
Chansky's Notebook: Just Too Small
UNC head coach Hubert Davis and new general manager Jim Turner need to turn over the roster again to return the Tar Heels to relevance.
UNC's Season-Ending Loss Showed the Tar Heels' Identity, For Better And For Worse
UNC ended the season much the same way it began it: consistently inconsistent, and falling a few plays short of a signature win.
Ole Miss Holds Off Comeback, Ends UNC Men's Basketball's Season in NCAA 1st Round
Chapelboro.com’s coverage of UNC in the NCAA Tournament is proudly presented by Town Hall Grill in Southern Village, and High & Rubish Insurance Agency. UNC fell behind early and never recovered against No. 6 seed Ole Miss in the first round of the NCAA Tournament Friday afternoon in Milwaukee, falling to the Rebels 71-64. The Tar Heels’ […]
Chansky's Notebook: Dour Dancing
The ACC needs more than one team to advance into the second round, or it would underscore criticism of the underperforming conference.
The UNC Fan's Travel Guide to Milwaukee
Chapelboro.com’s coverage of UNC in the NCAA Tournament is proudly presented by Town Hall Grill in Southern Village, and High & Rubish Insurance Agency. UNC men’s basketball fans have flocked to Milwaukee to support the Tar Heels in the first and second rounds of the NCAA Tournament this weekend. It’s a rare trip to Wisconsin for the […]
›