If you believe in such things, Dean Smith might have been in Hubert Davis’ ear toward the end of Saturday’s thrilling must-win over Pitt.
One day from the tenth anniversary of Smith’s death, the Tar Heels missed two critical free throws down the stretch but saved the game with some solid defense and held on for the 67-66 victory that kept their chances alive for an NCAA tournament bid.
Smith used to say the ball doesn’t always go in, but defense is a matter of consistent effort and intensity. After the Heels took their last lead on R.J. Davis’ improvised short jumper in the lane, Ven-Allen Lubin and Seth Trimble each missed free throws that gave Pitt hope to sweep Carolina.
Hubert Davis — who played for and idolized Smith — was proud of the stops his team made to avoid a loss that would have seriously damaged its post-season chances. Long and athletic freshman Drake Powell leaped and deflected a pass intended for a wide open Panther, and Carolina’s defense blunted Pitt’s last three attempts right up until the final buzzer sounded and the home crowd erupted in glee and relief.
“I hope they have a clear picture of what the little things can do that make big things happen,” Davis said. “Getting into the passing lane, getting a deflection, Seth and Drake diving on the floor, taking seconds off the clock.
“We missed some one-on-one free throws down the end,” the head coach acknowledged. “But again, all we needed was one stop. We got a stop at Notre Dame. We got a stop against UCLA. We got a stop at North Carolina State, and now we got a stop against Pitt at home.”
UNC’s Drake Powell wryly smiles on the ground after deflecting the ball out of bounds during Carolina’s final defensive stand in the win over Pitt. (Photo via Todd Melet/Chapel Hill Media Group.)
Hubert was happy to point out his team’s record is now 6-4 in games that went down to the last possession. Stewing for a week over the humiliating loss at Duke, the Tar Heels opened fast and led 12-3 with a 12-0 run, extending the lead to 11 points twice during the half. They had six assists in the first six minutes and midway through the first half had made 11 of 15 shots, three from beyond the arc.
By the four-minute mark, they had attempted only one free throw while Pitt took six and cut the deficit to 35-32 at halftime. UNC cooled off in the second half as the Panthers tied the score and kept it a back-and-forth affair that neither team led by more than three points over the last four minutes.
Carolina had four players in double figures for the second time in ACC play, which continues Monday at Clemson. The Tigers gave second-ranked Duke its first league loss on Saturday night and moved into a tie with Louisville at 11-2, one game behind the Blue Devils. The visit to Death Valley projects to be UNC’s last Quad 1 game before the home rematch with Duke on March 8.
The only regulars who did not reach double figures were foul-plagued Elliot Cadeau — who still contributed 7 assists — and the slumping Ian Jackson, who went scoreless for the first time this season with 3 assists and 2 rebounds. A projected NBA first-round draft pick, Jackson has been in double figures only once in the last six games following a stretch of averaging 21 points in eight starts. His dynamic shot-making is clearly missed by the Tar Heels’ offense, but it is clear sometimes how Jackson is pressing to make a play.
Aside from the winning basket, R.J. Davis had a balanced game of 18 points while continuing to raise his shooting percentages in conference games to 41 percent from the floor and 37 percent from outside. With Cadeau missing minutes in foul trouble, Davis moved to point guard and drew five fouls from Pitt’s aggressive defense.
“He’s finding a real nice rhythm,” Hubert said of his star grad student. “Having R.J. on the floor, the four years I’ve been head coach, I’ve rarely taken him out because I just feel so confident as a coach having him out there. Not just being able to score, but to make the right play defensively. Having guys in the right spots. We have a guy that’s older and experienced as he is, it’s nice to have that extension out there on the floor and that’s what R.J. brings to our team.”
UNC’s RJ Davis celebrates after he scored the go-ahead basket against Pittsburgh on Saturday in Chapel Hill, N.C. (Photo via AP Photo/Chris Seward)
Saturday’s win was a true team effort. Trimble finished with 15 points and a game-high 7 rebounds. Lubin posted his Tar Heel-high of 17 points, with 11 coming in the first half as he scored on mismatches underneath against a switching man-to-man defense. Powell had 10 points, hitting two important 3-pointers in the second half that both erased Pitt leads, plus added a team-high 3 steals.
The Heels, now 14-10 and 7-5 in the ACC, were much better with the ball, giving up less than 10 points on turnovers for the first time in the last six games; they had only six turnovers that led to 6 Pitt points. In the game at Pittsburgh on Jan. 28, Carolina committed 14 turnovers that led to 22 points for Jeff Capel’s team, which suffered its third straight loss and fell to 14-9 and 5-7 in the ACC.
When track star Ethan Strand was honored during a timeout late in the game for setting the NCAA record in the 3,000 meters and mile, Dean Smith surely would have wise-cracked that Carolina is a “track school.” Smith was a fiercely private person but loved small gatherings with family and close friends after big wins — something Hubert alluded to himself after Saturday’s game.
“There’s a little bit of time, so we we’ll have a good dinner with the wife and enjoy,” Davis said. “One of the things I have learned in my brief four years as a head coach is you have to celebrate wins because they’re very difficult, especially in the conference.”
The beloved Smith went to the Big Dance for his last 23 years on the bench since 1975, the first season more than one team per conference was allowed to go. Prior to that, his Tar Heels went by virtue of winning ACC tournament championships in 1967-69 and 1972.
Realistically, UNC needs to beat Clemson and win the following six games before Duke’s visit to be in contention for an at-large NCAA tournament invite, which would be Davis’ third in five seasons at the helm. Carolina’s head coach may need to have a familiar voice in his ear over the next month to help get his team there.
Featured image via AP Photo/Chris Seward.
Art Chansky is a veteran journalist who has written ten books, including best-sellers “Game Changers,” “Blue Bloods,” and “The Dean’s List.” He has contributed to WCHL for decades, having made his first appearance as a student in 1971. His “Sports Notebook” commentary airs daily on the 97.9 The Hill WCHL and his “Art’s Angle” opinion column runs weekly on Chapelboro.Chapelboro.com does not charge subscription fees, and you can directly support our efforts in local journalism here. Want more of what you see on Chapelboro? Let us bring free local news and community information to you by signing up for our newsletter.
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