Written by DAVID GLENN
The North Carolina men’s and women’s basketball teams took important steps forward on Saturday and Sunday, respectively, as both head into an even higher-profile March Madness week where they will be showcased on two of the sport’s biggest stages.
The UNC men continued their winning ways with an 89-82 victory at the Smith Center over a talented and desperate Virginia Tech team that needed a high-profile victory to bolster its NIT-caliber resume. Junior center Henri Veesaar led the way against the Hokies with 26 points, seven rebounds, two assists and a blocked shot for the Tar Heels, who now have an impressive 4-1 record without injured star freshman Caleb Wilson.
If the Heels can defeat Clemson on Tuesday night in Chapel Hill, they are guaranteed to finish among the top four in the ACC standings this season, regardless of what happens during their trip to No. 1 Duke on Saturday night, when ESPN’s popular College GameDay program will be in Durham.
That top-four ACC finish is important, both because it would enable a double bye for Carolina into the ACC Tournament quarterfinals and because the ACC champion has come from among that event’s top four seeds almost 90 percent of the time historically.
Meanwhile, the UNC women scored their biggest victory of the entire season, a 74-69 triumph over No. 12 Duke at Carmichael Arena, achieving a number of memorable milestones along the way.
First, it was the Tar Heels’ fifth straight home win over the rival Blue Devils, who are this year’s ACC regular-season champion. Second, the game marked the 150th career victory at Carolina for seventh-year UNC coach Courtney Banghart. Third, the win helped the Heels commemorate a special occasion for starting guard Indya Nivar and starting forward Nyla Harris, who were able to celebrate their Senior Day in style. With 19 points and seven rebounds, Harris was one of Carolina’s star performers against the Devils.
Perhaps most importantly, whereas the UNC men already know they can beat any team in the country (witness, for example, their wins over Duke, Virginia, Kansas and Louisville earlier this season), the UNC women hadn’t shown that same capacity until Sunday afternoon against Duke, which became their first nationally ranked victim of the entire season.
Next up for the UNC women is the ACC Tournament in Duluth, Ga. The Tar Heels are the #3 seed — their highest position at the event of the entire Banghart Era — as they pursue what would be the program’s first ACC title since they won four in a row under coach Sylvia Hatchell from 2005-08.
The Heels’ opening game at this year’s tournament will come Friday night, in the event’s quarterfinals.
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Featured image via UNC Athletic Communications/Jeffrey A. Camarati
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