North Carolina took apart Notre Dame in every conceivable way Wednesday night in a 101-59 rout in the second round of the ACC Tournament, as the Tar Heels advanced to the quarterfinals where they will meet Virginia Tech on Thursday night.
The Tar Heels reached the 100-point mark for the first time this season, shot 50.6 percent from the floor, outrebounded the Fighting Irish 54-31, and did so without starting forward Garrison Brooks and with starting guard Kerwin Walton shooting just 1-for-5.
Here are our 3 Stars from UNC’s win over Notre Dame:
Day'Ron Sharpe
The freshman forward started in place of Brooks and was outstanding, as he scored 14 points on 7-for-10 shooting, grabbed 10 rebounds, handed out six assists, and was plus-24 on the night. Sharpe’s two spin moves for baskets were breathtaking, and his energy reflected exactly what UNC’s disposition was.
Walker Kessler
The 7-foot freshman set an ACC Tournament record with eight blocked shots by a freshman, which is also a UNC record in an ACC Tournament game, while also finishing with 16 points on 7-for-11 shooting, plus he pulled down 12 rebounds, had two steals and was plus-24 on the floor.
Armando Bacot
The sophomore turned in his third terrific performance by leading the Tar Heels with 20 points on 7-for-10 shooting and grabbing 13 rebounds. Bacot also had an assist, a steal, and two blocked shots. He was ferocious yet graceful at times in rendering the Irish’s frontline useless. It was a dominating performance.