No. 4 UNC dominant in rebounding and routs Florida State 92-67 in ACC Tournament quarterfinals
WASHINGTON (AP) Armando Bacot scored 14 points and grabbed 10 of his team's 48 rebounds to Florida State's 22, and fourth-ranked North Carolina rolled into the Atlantic Coast Conference Tournament semifinals with a 92-67 victory Thursday.
Bacot got the double-double with a rebound on his final play before being pulled midway through the second half, and unanimous ACC player of the year RJ Davis scored a game-high 18 points.
“Their effort, energy, attention to detail defensively was good,” North Carolina coach Hubert Davis said. “And for us to dominate the boards on both ends, I thought that was a huge key for us in allowing them to be successful out there.”
Winning their sixth in a row, the Tar Heels flexed their muscles on the boards, at one point grabbing four offensive rebounds on the same possession late in the first half - a sequence Bacot described as “a ton of fun.” By halftime, the Seminoles had just six.
“Rebounding is not about size and athleticism, it’s about heart and will and positioning,” said Harrison Ingram, who also had 10 rebounds. “We’ve been working on it every single day.”
A combination of rebounding domination and some timely shooting - as Florida State went ice cold from the floor - helped UNC (26-6, 18-3 ACC) pull away. Shooting for a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament, the ACC's regular-season champions face Pitt on Friday night with a spot in the final on the line.
“We’re fortunate ... to have a chance to be in the semifinals and to play against one of the outstanding programs in the history of college basketball,” Pitt coach Jeff Capel said after his team beat Wake Forest 81-69. “We’ll be ready to go.”
No. 11 Duke await UNC in the final in a rematch from last week and a third meeting between the Tobacco Road rivals in the past two months. UNC has not reached an ACC Tournament final since 2018 and hasn't won it since 2016, also the last time it was in Washington.
“It’s something none of us have experienced other than the coaches,' said Bacot, who's in his fifth season in Chapel Hill. ”We feel like it’s right there for the taking, so that’s why we’ve been playing so hard."
FSU didn't pose much of a roadblock to UNC, which also got 14 from Cormac Ryan, who went 3 of 4 from 3-point range fresh off his leading performance at Cameron Indoor Stadium.
Primo Spears, playing in his old home arena after playing last season at Georgetown, led ninth-seeded Florida State (17-16, 10-11) with 17 points.
“We got beat by a team that played better than us,” longtime coach Leonard Hamilton said. “They were much more aggressive, much more physical.”
BIG PICTURE
Florida State: Missing the NCAA Tournament for a third consecutive season could bring some questions about how the program is trending. The struggles came after the Seminoles reached the Sweet 16 twice and made one trip to the Elite Eight sandwiched around a successful 2019-20 season that would have brought a high seed before the tournament was canceled because of the pandemic.
North Carolina: The selection committee is watching, and there's no rust on a team that looks every bit like a national championship contender. The Tar Heels were sharp in their first game since Saturday, and even if they may need another top team to falter in its conference tournament, is on track to get a No. 1 seed if they keep playing like this the rest of the week.
UP NEXT
UNC is again expected to be a heavy favorite against Pitt, with much more Carolina blue expected in the stands as the weekend goes on.
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Time | Team | Play | Score | |
---|---|---|---|---|
20:00 | Baba Miller vs. Harrison Ingram (Cam Corhen gains possession) | |||
19:29 | +2 | Baba Miller makes two point dunk (Jamir Watkins assists) | 2-0 | |
19:09 | Jalen Warley blocks RJ Davis's two point layup | |||
19:07 | Harrison Ingram offensive rebound | |||
19:02 | Cormac Ryan misses three point jump shot | |||
19:00 | Armando Bacot offensive rebound | |||
18:58 | Armando Bacot misses two point layup | |||
18:56 | Jamir Watkins defensive rebound | |||
18:48 | Jamir Watkins misses two point layup | |||
18:46 | Elliot Cadeau defensive rebound | |||
18:22 | Elliot Cadeau misses three point jump shot | |||
18:20 | Baba Miller defensive rebound | |||
18:03 | Jalen Warley misses two point hook shot | |||
18:01 | Armando Bacot defensive rebound | |||
17:51 | +2 | RJ Davis makes two point layup | 2-2 | |
17:25 | Baba Miller turnover (bad pass) | |||
16:58 | +3 | Harrison Ingram makes three point jump shot (RJ Davis assists) | 2-5 | |
16:50 | Official timeout | |||
16:50 | TV timeout | |||
16:33 | +3 | Baba Miller makes three point jump shot (Jalen Warley assists) | 5-5 | |
16:10 | Armando Bacot turnover (lost ball) (Jalen Warley steals) | |||
15:57 | Darin Green Jr. misses three point jump shot | |||
15:55 | RJ Davis defensive rebound | |||
15:48 | Cormac Ryan turnover (out of bounds) | |||
15:24 | Jamir Watkins misses three point jump shot | |||
15:22 | Armando Bacot defensive rebound | |||
15:00 | Jae'Lyn Withers turnover (lost ball) (Cam Corhen steals) | |||
14:49 | Jalen Warley misses two point jump shot | |||
14:47 | Jae'Lyn Withers defensive rebound | |||
14:32 | Jalen Warley blocks RJ Davis's two point layup | |||
14:30 | Darin Green Jr. defensive rebound | |||
14:27 | Darin Green Jr. misses three point jump shot | |||
14:25 | Jae'Lyn Withers defensive rebound | |||
14:18 | +2 | Armando Bacot makes two point layup (RJ Davis assists) | 5-7 | |
13:59 | +2 | Cam Corhen makes two point jump shot (Darin Green Jr. assists) | 7-7 | |
13:33 | +2 | Seth Trimble makes two point jump shot | 7-9 | |
13:04 | Jalen Warley misses two point layup | |||
13:02 | Jalen Warley offensive rebound | |||
12:55 | +2 | Jalen Warley makes two point layup | 9-9 | |
12:51 | Seth Trimble turnover (lost ball) (Jamir Watkins steals) | |||
12:45 | +2 | Jalen Warley makes two point layup (Jamir Watkins assists) | 11-9 | |
12:22 | +2 | RJ Davis makes two point jump shot | 11-11 | |
11:55 | Baba Miller misses three point jump shot | |||
11:53 | Jamir Watkins offensive rebound | |||
11:47 | +2 | Jamir Watkins makes two point layup | 13-11 | |
11:38 | +2 | Armando Bacot makes two point dunk (RJ Davis assists) | 13-13 | |
11:25 | Jamir Watkins misses two point layup | |||
11:23 | Baba Miller turnover (offensive goaltending) | |||
11:23 | TV timeout | |||
11:06 | +2 | Elliot Cadeau makes two point layup (Jae'Lyn Withers assists) | 13-15 | |
10:52 | Primo Spears misses two point jump shot | |||
10:50 | Jae'Lyn Withers defensive rebound | |||
10:23 | Jae'Lyn Withers misses two point dunk | |||
10:22 | Jae'Lyn Withers turnover (offensive goaltending) | |||
10:07 | +3 | Taylor Bol Bowen makes three point jump shot (Jamir Watkins assists) | 16-15 | |
9:49 | +2 | Jalen Washington makes two point layup (Elliot Cadeau assists) | 16-17 | |
9:34 | Darin Green Jr. misses two point jump shot | |||
9:32 | Harrison Ingram defensive rebound | |||
9:27 | Harrison Ingram misses two point layup | |||
9:25 | Tar Heels offensive rebound | |||
9:14 | Cam Corhen shooting foul (Jae'Lyn Withers draws the foul) | |||
9:14 | Jae'Lyn Withers misses regular free throw 1 of 2 | |||
9:14 | +1 | Jae'Lyn Withers makes regular free throw 2 of 2 | 16-18 | |
8:47 | Jalen Warley misses two point layup | |||
8:44 | Seminoles turnover (shot clock violation) | |||
8:28 | Taylor Bol Bowen personal foul (Jae'Lyn Withers draws the foul) | |||
8:12 | Taylor Bol Bowen shooting foul (RJ Davis draws the foul) | |||
8:12 | +1 | RJ Davis makes regular free throw 1 of 2 | 16-19 | |
8:12 | +1 | RJ Davis makes regular free throw 2 of 2 | 16-20 | |
8:00 | +2 | Jamir Watkins makes two point layup | 18-20 | |
8:00 | Harrison Ingram shooting foul (Jamir Watkins draws the foul) | |||
8:00 | TV timeout | |||
8:00 | +1 | Jamir Watkins makes regular free throw 1 of 1 | 19-20 | |
7:50 | +2 | Armando Bacot makes two point dunk (Elliot Cadeau assists) | 19-22 | |
7:22 | Primo Spears turnover (bad pass) (Elliot Cadeau steals) | |||
7:18 | +2 | Elliot Cadeau makes two point layup | 19-24 | |
7:00 | +2 | Primo Spears makes two point jump shot | 21-24 | |
6:40 | Baba Miller blocks Armando Bacot's two point layup | |||
6:38 | Baba Miller defensive rebound | |||
6:30 | Primo Spears misses three point jump shot | |||
6:28 | RJ Davis defensive rebound | |||
6:23 | Cam Corhen personal foul (Armando Bacot draws the foul) | |||
6:12 | Primo Spears shooting foul (Harrison Ingram draws the foul) | |||
6:12 | +1 | Harrison Ingram makes regular free throw 1 of 2 | 21-25 | |
6:12 | +1 | Harrison Ingram makes regular free throw 2 of 2 | 21-26 | |
6:03 | +2 | Primo Spears makes two point jump shot (Chandler Jackson assists) | 23-26 | |
5:44 | RJ Davis misses two point jump shot | |||
5:42 | Armando Bacot offensive rebound | |||
5:38 | Armando Bacot turnover (bad pass) (Jaylan Gainey steals) | |||
5:34 | Baba Miller turnover (bad pass) (Elliot Cadeau steals) | |||
5:34 | Baba Miller personal foul (Elliot Cadeau draws the foul) | |||
5:25 | Elliot Cadeau misses two point layup | |||
5:23 | Harrison Ingram offensive rebound | |||
5:21 | +2 | Harrison Ingram makes two point layup | 23-28 | |
4:51 | Jump ball. Elliot Cadeau vs. Jaylan Gainey (Tar Heels gains possession) | |||
4:51 | Jaylan Gainey turnover (lost ball) (Elliot Cadeau steals) | |||
4:38 | +2 | Cormac Ryan makes two point jump shot | 23-30 | |
4:24 | Darin Green Jr. misses three point jump shot | |||
4:22 | Seth Trimble defensive rebound | |||
4:15 | Jamir Watkins shooting foul (Armando Bacot draws the foul) | |||
4:15 | +1 | Armando Bacot makes regular free throw 1 of 2 | 23-31 | |
4:15 | +1 | Armando Bacot makes regular free throw 2 of 2 | 23-32 | |
4:04 | Cormac Ryan shooting foul (Jamir Watkins draws the foul) | |||
4:04 | +1 | Jamir Watkins makes regular free throw 1 of 2 | 24-32 | |
4:04 | +1 | Jamir Watkins makes regular free throw 2 of 2 | 25-32 | |
3:42 | De'Ante Green personal foul (Armando Bacot draws the foul) | |||
3:42 | TV timeout | |||
3:42 | +1 | Armando Bacot makes regular free throw 1 of 2 | 25-33 | |
3:42 | +1 | Armando Bacot makes regular free throw 2 of 2 | 25-34 | |
3:27 | +2 | De'Ante Green makes two point jump shot | 27-34 | |
3:08 | Harrison Ingram misses three point jump shot | |||
3:06 | Armando Bacot offensive rebound | |||
3:00 | +3 | Cormac Ryan makes three point jump shot (Harrison Ingram assists) | 27-37 | |
2:39 | Darin Green Jr. turnover (lost ball) (RJ Davis steals) | |||
2:33 | +2 | RJ Davis makes two point layup | 27-39 | |
2:33 | Seminoles 30 second timeout | |||
2:11 | Darin Green Jr. misses two point jump shot | |||
2:09 | Cormac Ryan defensive rebound | |||
2:06 | +3 | RJ Davis makes three point jump shot (Elliot Cadeau assists) | 27-42 | |
1:36 | Jamir Watkins misses three point jump shot | |||
1:34 | Harrison Ingram defensive rebound | |||
1:30 | Baba Miller personal foul (Harrison Ingram draws the foul) | |||
1:30 | +1 | Harrison Ingram makes regular free throw 1 of 2 | 27-43 | |
1:30 | +1 | Harrison Ingram makes regular free throw 2 of 2 | 27-44 | |
1:02 | Elliot Cadeau blocks Jamir Watkins's two point jump shot | |||
1:00 | Seminoles turnover (shot clock violation) | |||
0:44 | Armando Bacot misses two point jump shot | |||
0:42 | Harrison Ingram offensive rebound | |||
0:39 | Elliot Cadeau misses three point jump shot | |||
0:37 | Armando Bacot offensive rebound | |||
0:32 | Cormac Ryan misses two point layup | |||
0:30 | Harrison Ingram offensive rebound | |||
0:27 | Harrison Ingram misses two point jump shot | |||
0:25 | Armando Bacot offensive rebound | |||
0:22 | +2 | Armando Bacot makes two point layup | 27-46 | |
0:06 | Jae'Lyn Withers personal foul (Jamir Watkins draws the foul) | |||
0:01 | +3 | Primo Spears makes three point jump shot (Jamir Watkins assists) | 30-46 | |
0:00 | End of period |