In its win over Virginia Tech, UNC showed what’s possible when it is hitting its 3’s
North Carolina has shown this season that the majority of its points will come from up close and in the paint.
The Tar Heels like to feed the post, preferably UNC junior forward Garrison Brooks, who has scored 20 points in seven consecutive games now.
But if the Tar Heels can consistently get the 3 going, too, something that has eluded them for much of this season, they can be dangerous in the ACC tournament.
And what seems like an impossible task — winning five ACC games in five days — may actually become a little easier.
That was the case in UNC’s 78-56 win over 11th-seeded Virginia Tech (16-16) in the first round. While the 14th-seeded Tar Heels did not take a lot of 3-pointers on Tuesday, they definitely made them. The Tar Heels finished shooting 54 percent (7 of 13) from 3 for the game.
What was once a 14-point lead midway through the second half, quickly because a 25-point game, after senior guard Brandon Robinson hit three 3’s in a two-minute span.
One of those 3-pointers was a step-back 3, and after draining it, Robinson turned to the crowd and yelled, “I’m here.”
Robinson finished with 17 points, and was 5 of 6 from 3. It was his 3-point shooting that put away the game for the Tar Heels.
“B-Rob going five for six from the 3-point line was extremely important to us,” UNC coach Roy Williams said after the game.
The Tar Heels haven’t had many games this season where their 3-point shot was going in. For one, the Tar Heels don’t have the same knock down shooters they had last year in Cam Johnson and Coby White, who are both playing well in the NBA. Those players made that team dangerous.
Part of that is also because often times, their best 3-point shooters — freshman guard Cole Anthony (35 percent) and Robinson (37 percent) — have been out with injuries.
But recently, the two have been healthy with the exception of Robinson’s ankle, and they’ve been draining 3’s, too.
“It’s a credit to Garrison, honestly, because he did a good job of scoring the ball, besides just playing his butt off all year, and so teams have been looking to double down on him,” Robinson said. “So when they leave me open, it’s my job to knock it in, and he’s been doing a good job of finding me and just always in my ear just telling me to shoot the ball.”
The Tar Heels are 5-2 when they shoot 40 percent or better from 3 this year. One of those times occurred last month when UNC played Syracuse. The Tar Heels finished 11 of 26 from 3, and dominated Syracuse 92-79 at the Carrier Dome.
The Tar Heels have won nine consecutive games against Syracuse, and have another matchup against the sixth-seeded Orange in the second round on Wednesday night.
“I can only speak to the last game, but we focused in on stopping their three main guys,” Robinson said of what worked against Syracuse in the first game. “But they are going to be fired up tomorrow because we beat them...We’ve just got to focus in on the scouting report to do the right thing and get the win.”
The Tar Heels’ only hope at getting to the NCAA tournament is to win five straight games. After Tuesday night’s win, the Tar Heels need just four.
When asked what did he learn about the team on Tuesday night, Anthony, who finished with 10 points, said he didn’t learn anything new.
“I knew how good we could be,” he said. “I knew we’re a pretty good team — let me say, ‘really good.’ It was just a matter of letting everyone else know.
“I thought that was a statement for us.”
No. 14 seed UNC vs No. 6 seed Syracuse
When: 9 p.m., March 11
Where: Greensboro Coliseum, Greensboro
TV: ESPN2
This story was originally published March 11, 2020 at 12:45 AM with the headline "In its win over Virginia Tech, UNC showed what’s possible when it is hitting its 3’s."
