Lucas: Virginia Tech Rapid Reactions

By Adam Lucas

1. Carolina went on the road and got another win, stretching the current winning streak to six straight games. This one was a 91-59 blitzkrieg over a Virginia Tech team that had been playing solid basketball lately. The Heels have scored 545 points in the last six games, putting them at 90.8 points per game in those contests. That was the first 30-point ACC road win since at Wake in 2019.

2. The Heels took control of the game with an explosive middle portion of the contest. Virginia Tech led 23-21 at the 7:44 mark of the first half. From there, UNC took off on a 48-12 run over the next 15 minutes of game action. It was one of the most impressive stretches of the season for the Tar Heels because it had a little bit of everything--tough defense, transition play, and good shooting.

3. And that shooting continues to be very good. The Heels shot above 50 percent in both halves on Tuesday and have now hit at least 50 percent from the field in 10 of the last 11 halves they have played. Carolina shot 58.9 percent from the field in the game and 53.6 percent from three.

4. Many of those shots against Tech came from the perimeter. The Tar Heels again shot very well from three, hitting 15-for-28 from the arc. They are now 65-136 from three in the last five games. The 15 three-pointers are a season high.

5. Gaudy scoring numbers: Ian Jackson had 19, Seth Trimble and RJ Davis each put up 15, Drake Powell had 13 and Ven-Allen Lubin had ten. Even better news: Davis had to play just 25 minutes to get those points and spent most of the second half on the bench, and Trimble only had to play 19.

6. Lubin's ten points contributed to his first UNC double-double. There was a stretch early in the second half when he looked like Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, scoring and rebounding on every trip. He paired his ten points with 11 boards.

7. How did the Heels start the run? They finally started getting some turnovers. The Hokies are one of the worst teams in the ACC at taking care of the basketball, but did not commit a turnover in their first 17 possessions. That changed midway through the half, as Carolina increased the ball pressure and forced eight turnovers over the next 17 VT possessions. That enabled the Heels to get out and run (they led fast break points 11-2 in the first half) and get high percentage shots. They shot 54.8 percent in the first half.

8. Drake Powell continues to be a key part of Carolina's defensive effort in sequences like that one. Powell doesn't always get the steal, but he often makes the play that leads to the steal. That's why he has piled up a +78 plus/minus in the last five games. He was +20 in Tuesday's first half alone--and he did it while scoring just five points. That's a great example of how he's contributing without necessarily scoring. He finished at +30, tied with Trimble for the team lead.

9. Quietly, Elliot Cadeau handed out 12 assists on Carolina's first 30 field goals, meaning he assisted on nearly half of the first 30 baskets. It's easy to get assists when your teammates are shooting so well, but he also created some of those scoring opportunities for them.

10. Carolina caught a break when Virginia Tech standout Tobi Lawal missed his second straight game with a lower leg injury. Lawal also sat out the Hokies' game this weekend, an overtime victory over Syracuse.

11. Carolina also considered their recent excellent rebounding. They led the battle on the boards 38-27 and are now +70 on the glass in the last five games.

12. Saturday is a big one. Duke comes to town, as does ESPN's College Gameday. The Smith Center should be a terrific environment in a game the Heels need to win to validate this recent run of excellent play.

Players Mentioned

Elliot Cadeau

RJ Davis

Ian Jackson

Ven-Allen Lubin

Drake Powell

Seth Trimble

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