UNC adapts to Virginia, winning ACC title with defense
The Final Four is less than a month away and on the eve of Selection Sunday the nation was treated to what a national semifinal might look like this season.
Seventh-ranked and top-seeded North Carolina battled fourth-ranked and No. 2 seed Virginia in the ACC championship game with each eyeing a No. 1 seed in the NCAA tournament.
The Tar Heels earned a hard-fought 61-57 win in a much lower scoring game than they’re accustomed to. They can now call themselves undisputed champs in the conference this year after also winning the regular season title. This is the Tar Heels’ first ACC tournament title since 2008.
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North Carolina coach Roy Williams apparently suffered another bout with vertigo for a few moments in the second half when he went down on one knee on the sideline, but he waved off any help and continued coaching.
But the title both of these teams want most comes in the next tournament and nothing gleaned from Saturday’s contest is likely to give the selection committee pause in making both teams No. 1 seeds. It’s possible Virginia could fall to a No. 2 seed if Michigan State is able to win the Big Ten championship game on Sunday.
The Tar Heels prevented the Cavaliers from winning the ACC for the second consecutive season. They knocked Virginia out in the semifinals last season and this time it was North Carolina’s defense that was responsible for the win instead of its high-powered offense.
North Carolina led the ACC this year, scoring 82.9 points per game, and Virginia was the second-most stingy defense in the nation allowing opponents just 59.6 points a game. Virginia controlled the pace of play as it almost always does, but the Tar Heels matched the Cavaliers’ commitment to defense in holding them to 36.5 percent shooting and an 8-for-24 night behind the 3-point line.
[Wayne Selden’s dunk on Baylor was the best of 2016 postseason]
Marcus Paige is better known for this jump shot but he did a stellar job of defending Malcolm Brogdon, holding the ACC Player of the Year to just 15 points on 6-for 22 shooting. London Perrantes also struggled to make shots, finishing with just eight points on 3-for-14 shooting.
On the other end of the court, Paige and his backcourt partner Joel Berry II knocked down enough key shots against the Virginia defense to make the difference. Berry led the Tar Heels with 19 points, going 3-for-3 behind the 3-point line. He has scored 40 points and went 8-for-12 behind the arc in two meetings with the Cavaliers this season.
Berry has been making shots of late, which will only make the Tar Heels more dangerous in the NCAA tournament. He has made at least two 3-pointers in six consecutive games.
Paige’s shot was off Saturday, perhaps because he was using so much energy to guard Brogdon effectively. But he still managed to score 13 points.
The Tar Heels seem to be a lock for a No. 1 seed and Virginia proved it’s worthy of one, too. Now both await word on where they go next and who will be standing in their way.
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[Kyle Ringo is the assistant editor of The Dagger on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at [email protected] or follow him on Twitter! Follow @KyleRingo
