Despite hiccups, North Carolina has bounced back at some opportune times this season.
The Tar Heels will try to kick it up a notch as the Atlantic Coast Conference portion of the schedule hits another gear when North Carolina faces Boston College on Tuesday night in Chapel Hill, N.C.
North Carolina (12-6, 4-3 ACC) has won seven of its past nine games. The Tar Heels hold the same record through 18 games as they did last season, which ended with them reaching the national championship game.
“The thing I’m happy about is how we responded,” North Carolina coach Hubert Davis said of beating Louisville on Saturday after losing at then-No. 13 Virginia on Tuesday.
A key for the Tar Heels is the status of forward Armando Bacot, whose double-double on Saturday came a few days after he played less than 1 1/2 minutes in the loss at Virginia.
Coming off an ankle injury, he played about 25 minutes at Louisville, a total that likely would have been larger if not for second-half foul trouble.
“Just going to keep working to get ready for Boston College,” Bacot said. “I want to get back out there.”
North Carolina’s D’Marco Dunn gave the Tar Heels 14 points in almost 26 minutes off the bench in the Louisville game, and that effort might have earned him more court time.
“He played with pace on both ends of the floor,” Davis said of Dunn. “I’ve talked to these guys a lot about being ready (when they get a chance).”
Boston College (8-10, 2-5) has lost three games in a row, though two of the defeats have come against nationally ranked foes. The other was Saturday night against a Wake Forest team that won its third straight game.
“We have to take the right shots,” Boston College coach Earl Grant said. “That’s the only thing you can do is execute out of it.”
Boston College has allowed 88 points to Miami and 85 to Wake Forest in its past two games.
“Our defense failed us,” Grant said.
North Carolina is averaging 80 points a game this season.
–Field Level Media