In Charlotte, North Carolina, RJ Davis delivered an impressive performance with 23 points and five successful 3-pointers, helping the fifth-seeded North Carolina secure a victory over fourth-seeded Wake Forest with a final score of 68-59 in the ACC Tournament quarterfinals. This win marked the 100th career victory for coach Hubert Davis with the Tar Heels program. North Carolina, currently on a strong streak with eight wins out of their last nine games, will next face top-seeded Duke in Friday’s semifinals.
Duke’s coach, Jon Scheyer, expressed doubt regarding the participation of freshman standout Cooper Flagg due to an ankle sprain. Meanwhile, Wake Forest was aiming to return to the ACC Tournament semifinals for the first time since 2006. In the crucial moments of the game, Jae’Lyn Withers nailed a 3-pointer from the corner with 4:35 remaining, giving North Carolina a 57-56 lead, a position they maintained for the rest of the match.
The Tar Heels then bolstered their lead to 63-57 with 2:04 left on the clock, thanks to a six-point streak. During this period, Ven-Allen Lubin contributed significantly despite missing one of his free throws. His defensive efforts were pivotal, blocking a shot on the opposite end, followed by Davis making another 3-pointer, his fifth successful shot out of six attempts. The streak culminated with an impressive alley-oop dunk by Lubin.
Following a five-minute period without a field goal by Wake Forest, Hunter Sallis broke their scoring silence, but Lubin quickly responded with a putback dunk, extending North Carolina’s lead to 65-59 with just 1:27 remaining. North Carolina guard Drake Powell made a crucial defensive move by intercepting an inbounds pass. Subsequently, Seth Trimble drew a foul with 31.8 seconds left and secured one of two free throw attempts, extending the advantage to seven points.
Trimble contributed 10 points to the team’s effort, helping North Carolina avenge their past 67-66 defeat by Wake Forest on January 21. Sallis was the standout player for Wake Forest, finishing the game with 25 points, while teammates Tre’Von Spillers and Efton Reid III added to the team’s efforts with 10 points, nine rebounds, and 10 rebounds, respectively.
During the match, Davis experienced a slight injury, spraining his left ankle with 6:49 left in the second half after landing on Juke Harris’ foot during a drive. However, after a brief pause, he returned to the court and confidently made two free throws, pushing North Carolina to a narrow 54-53 lead.
