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The Sports Network TSN
Chapel Hill, NC (Sports Network) - Coming off a deflating last second loss to
rival Duke, the fifth-ranked North Carolina Tar Heels seek a quick turnaround,
as the welcome the 19th-ranked Virginia Cavaliers to Chapel Hill this
afternoon for a key ACC clash at the Smith Center.
It will be interesting to see if there are any lingering effects from
Wednesday's 85-84 loss to arch rival Duke. The loss halted a five-game win
streak for North Carolina and ended a 31-game homecourt winning streak as
well. It dropped Roy William's squad to 7-2 in conference play, now tied with
Duke and Florida State atop the standings.
Tony Bennett's Cavaliers are one of the surprise teams in the ACC this year.
The team is just a game out of first place at 6-3, thanks to wins in four of
its last five games, including a lopsided 68-44 win over Wake Forest on
Wednesday.
UNC holds a sizeable 125-49 advantage in the all-time series with Virginia,
including wins in six of the last seven meetings overall. The Tar Heels are
63-6 in the series in Chapel Hill, including a 21-3 mark at the Smith Center.
The Cavaliers will need to slow down the explosive Tar Heels, something they
have done effectively in most games this season. Virginia ranks second
nationally in scoring defense (51.1 ppg), holding opponents to a mere .391
shooting. Mike Scott is one of the conference's top frontcourt performers,
shooting an impressive .603 from the field overall, while pacing the Cavaliers
in both scoring (17.0 ppg) and rebounding (8.3 rpg). Guards Joe Harris (12.7
ppg) and Sammy Zeglinski (8.5 ppg) provide perimeter balance. The pair have
combined for 81 of the team's 117 three-pointers to date.
The Cavs were once again at their defensive best in the 24-point win over the
Demon Deacons, holding Wake to a mere .341 shooting, while forcing 17
turnovers. The team got a balanced scoring effort with five double-digit
scorers. Scott led the way with 19 points. Harris added 11, while Jontel
Evans, Akil Mitchell and Malcolm Brogdon chipped in 10 points each.
Duke's star freshman Austin Rivers stuck a dagger in the hearts of the Chapel
Hill faithful, as his three-pointer gave the Blue Devils the win at the Smith
Center on Wednesday. The loss certainly spoiled terrific performances by
Harrison Barnes and Tyler Zeller, who combined for 48 points. Barnes finished
with 25 point, while Zeller posted a double-double with 23 points and 11
rebounds. John Henson also recorded a double-double with 12 points and 17
rebounds, while Kendall Marshall almost made it a trifecta, registering 14
points and eight assists.
That formula has worked to UNC's advantage for the most part this season, as
the Tar Heels are fueled by a dominant frontcourt. Barnes has the ability to
score both inside and out, averaging a team-high 17.7 ppg. Zeller (15.6 ppg,
9.7 rpg) and Henson (14.2 ppg, 10.3 rpg) are a lethal duo in the paint.
Marshall isn't much of a scorer (6.8 ppg) but is charged with running the
nation's top scoring team (84.1 ppg), which he does to near perfection with
almost 10 assists per game.
The Sports Network