TALLAHASSEE, FL - Ahead of Saturday’s matchup with Miami, North Carolina finds itself in the midst of a four-game winning streak, tied for its longest of the season. Following a 20-point loss to Clemson on February 10, the Tar Heels were at a crossroads, where they’ve since responded with arguably their best basketball of the year.
Inserting 6-foot-9 veteran Jae’Lyn Withers into the starting lineup, which makes UNC a much bigger team, has made a difference, but keeping its foot on the gas has been a catalyst for the 180.
In matchups against Stanford, Wake Forest, and Pittsburgh, all of which resulted in losses for the Tar Heels, small scoring spurts helped them control an early lead, but they were unable to create meaningful separation.
In its win at Syracuse on February 15, Carolina used a 15-4 first half run and a 16-6 spurt after halftime to secure a six-point win.
Three days later, the Tar Heels not only landed the first punch against NC State, but administered the knockout blow with a 31-9 first half run. UNC held a 28-point halftime advantage eventuallty earning a 97-73 win over the Wolfpack.
In its lone matchup with Virginia, the Tar Heels never trailed, as a 21-2 scoring spurt to begin the contest was enough to keep the Cavaliers at bay.
And despite a quick turnaround and a trip to Tallahassee, UNC’s 21-9 run towards the end of the first half on Monday helped it lead for the final 23:13 of gametime.
“We understand how important it is to not only get those leads, but sustain those leads and keep up the effort the entire game, whether it’s just taking care of the ball, defending, rebounding, [or] getting good shots,” said Jalen Washington following the win at FSU. “We’ve already gotten to that point where we’re able to do it for spurts. We’re just trying to do it and expand it for longer times throughout the game.”
In the four-game stretch prior to the current winning streak, the Tar Heels scored just 66.5 points per contest, compared to 90.5 points per game beginning with the win against the Orange.
Part of North Carolina’s offensive resurgence can be credited to its work on the offensive glass, as it has allowed the Tar Heels to keep their foot on the gas amidst the significant scoring runs.
Over its four-game winning streak, UNC has recorded 51 offensive rebounds, which has led to 75 second-chance points. In that span, it has held its opponents to just 39 second-chance points, scoring an average of nine more points than its opponents per game thanks to its work on the offensive glass.
“It’s been huge for us the last four games. It’s something that we have talked about on a daily basis,” said UNC Coach Hubert Davis. “As long as I’ve been here, even as an assistant [coach] under Coach Williams we always go off to the offensive glass and for pretty much most of the season, that was not a strength of ours. But, over the last four games, it has been a strength.”
The Tar Heels’ improvement on the offensive end has translated to more consistent results on defense. They have held two of its last four opponents in NC State and Virginia below its season average of 76.6 points allowed per contest.
UNC’s defensive performances have provided a security blanket during times in which its offense has fallen stagnant, helping maintain the gap created by its scoring runs.
“I think the [scoring] spurts have been bigger and I think the times where teams come back, they don’t come all the way back,” said Davis. “We’ll be up 12 [points] and if we struggle for a four minute stretch then we’re up eight as opposed to it's a tie ballgame. Our level of play at both ends of the floor, we’re sustaining it better.”
The Tar Heels have found their recent wins coming against teams in the middle or bottom half of the ACC, but it’s the way in which they’ve gone about earning those victories that suggest they may be transforming into a different team.
