CHAPEL HILL, N.C. — In a solid performance on Saturday, North Carolina secured a victory over Virginia with a score of 81-66, highlighted by Jae’Lyn Withers and Ian Jackson, who each scored 16 points. Withers also contributed significantly to the game, pulling down 11 rebounds and shooting effectively from beyond the arc, hitting four of his six attempts on 3-pointers. Jackson supported the effort as well with three 3-pointers of his own. Additional contributions came from Ven-Allen Lubin with 14 points, RJ Davis adding 12, and Drake Powell scoring 11 points for the Tar Heels, who improved their record to 17-11 overall and 10-6 within the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC). The team excelled from long range, converting 9 of 16 shots from three-point territory and dominated the boards, out-rebounding the Cavaliers 35 to 21.
For Virginia, Isaac McKneely led the scoring with 17 points and achieved a personal milestone by becoming the 52nd player in the program’s history to surpass 1,000 career points. Dai Dai Ames also contributed with 12 points as the Cavaliers fell to 13-14 and 6-10 in the ACC.
Virginia faced an uphill battle after trailing by eight points at halftime and could not close the gap during the second half. A three-point play by Jackson expanded North Carolina’s lead to 20 points with just six minutes left in the game. Both teams had entered the matchup with some momentum, each winning three of their previous four games, but it was the Tar Heels who exploded right out of the gate, racing to a 21-2 advantage early in the contest. They began the game with a sharp shooting performance, hitting 8 of their first 12 shots, while the Cavaliers struggled, making only 1 of their first 10 attempts. While the Tar Heels allowed Virginia to regain some footing with several fouls that gifted the Cavaliers four free throw opportunities during a 14-3 run, UNC still managed to maintain a comfortable lead, ending the first half at 46-34.
Looking ahead, North Carolina will play at Florida State on Monday, while Virginia is set to face Wake Forest on Wednesday.
