North Carolina beats BC 85-61, keeps NCAA hopes alive

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North Carolina cruises to ACC tournament victory over Boston College

North Carolina gets 22 points from Caleb Love, and Armando Bacot fights through an ankle injury as the Tar Heels beat the Eagles 85-61.

Updated: Mar 9, 2023, 09:05 pm

GREENSBORO, N.C. -- — Caleb Love scored 22 points, RJ Davis hit four 3-pointers and finished with 18 points and North Carolina kept alive its NCAA Tournament hopes with a 85-61 win over Boston College Wednesday night in the second round of the ACC Tournament.

Armando Bacot had 10 points, six rebounds and three assists in 18 minutes for No. 7 seed North Carolina (20-12). The 6-foot-11 senior left the game with about five minutes left in the first half due to an apparent ankle injury. He started the second half before returning to the bench for good with 14:27 to play and the Tar Heels leading 58-31.

Bacot, Love and Davis scored eight points apiece in a 29-12 first-half run that gave the Tar Heels a 33-16 lead with 7:45 left before intermission and Boston College trailed by double figures the rest of the way.

Makai Ashton-Langford scored 16 points, Jaeden Zackery added 15 and Quinten Post 13 for 10th-seeded Boston College (16-17).

UNC hit 10 3-pointers, shot 55% (34 of 62) from the field and committed just seven turnovers.

North Carolina, which lost 72-69 to Kanas in the 2022 national championship game and was ranked No. 1 in the preseason poll, is likely in need of an ACC championship — or at least an appearance in the title game — to earn a tourney bid. The Tar Heels have won four of their last five games.

UP NEXT

Boston College is likely done for the season

North Carolina plays No. 2 seed Virginia in the quarterfinals Thursday. UNC split the season series with the Cavaliers with each team winning on its home court

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