No. 8 UNC Survives Second Half Onslaught To Upset No. 1 Seed Baylor, Advance To Sweet 16 – OutKick
One yr in the past, Baylor was chopping down the nets because the 2021 NCAA Match champion. Heading into 2022 because the No. 1 seed within the East area, they appeared primed for an additional run. However not so quick, says North Carolina, because the Bears’ quest for back-to-back championships was thwarted by the Tar…
One yr in the past, Baylor was chopping down the nets because the 2021 NCAA Match champion. Heading into 2022 because the No. 1 seed within the East area, they appeared primed for an additional run.
However not so quick, says North Carolina, because the Bears’ quest for back-to-back championships was thwarted by the Tar Heels in Fort Price Saturday. The No. 8 seeded Tar Heels (26-9) defeated the No. 1 seeded Bears (27-7) 93-86 in extra time to advance to the Candy 16 in head coach Hubert Davis’ first season changing the legendary Roy Williams.
North Carolina led at one level, 67-42, however make no mistake, this was a sport of survival for the ultimate 10 minutes and alter. The sport flipped instantly when North Carolina senior ahead Brady Manek, who had 26 factors on 8-of-13 from the sphere, was given a flagrant 2 foul and ejected.
Baylor erupted on a 30-9 run, transferring inside three with 28.7 seconds remaining. That’s when junior ahead Armando Bacot had an opportunity to make it a two-possession sport on the free throw line. However two bricks and a profitable and-one from Baylor senior guard James Akinjo later, and the 2 groups had been twisted up at 80. This sport was headed to extra time with Baylor having all the momentum.
Within the five-minute extra time interval, Baylor went ice chilly from the sphere, scoring simply six factors. The total-press protection that head coach Scott Drew deployed within the remaining 10 minutes to claw all the way in which again didn’t forestall North Carolina from regaining its kind within the additional interval.
Sophomore guard RJ Davis was the lynchpin down the stretch, changing an and-one of his personal to present the Tar Heels a 91-85 lead with 1:18 remaining that they might not relinquish.
Outdoors of Manek, it was RJ Davis who was ready make the important thing performs for the Tar Heels. He completed with a career-high 30 factors on 8-of-17 capturing with six assists and 5 rebounds.
RJ Davis mentioned within the postgame interview that the staff was mentally prepared for Saturday’s problem.
“I knew what sort of sport it was gonna be. It was gonna go all the way down to the wire,” RJ Davis mentioned. “My teammates trusted me, my coach trusted me. It was all about making performs towards the top of the sport. That’s what I did. I felt assured and I felt the rhythm all sport.”
RJ Davis additionally credited the position gamers for serving to pull off the foremost upset.
“The fellows, the important thing gamers that got here in when Caleb and Brady went out the sport,” RJ Davis mentioned. “They made big-time performs, and that’s what we wanted. Everybody was a contributor to this sport and everybody purchased in. I feel that’s why we grew to become victorious in the present day.”
Hubert Davis lauded his resilient squad after the sport.
“I’m so happy with these guys as a result of we’ve been on this scenario earlier than all season,” Hubert Davis mentioned. “And so they’ve come by.”
Hubert Davis added: “This can be a group of toughness, resiliency and I’m so happy with them. One of many issues that I desperately wished for them — I wished them to have their very own testimonies, their very own tales, their very own recollections of placing on that Carolina uniform and developing huge in big-time moments and big-time video games.
“As a coach, that makes me so proud to have the ability to see the grins on these faces to see these guys step up. It’s all due to them, and I’m so proud.”
With the win, North Carolina strikes on to face the winner of No. 4 UCLA (26-7) vs. No. 5 Saint Mary’s (26-7) Friday on the Wells Fargo Middle in Philadelphia. Regardless of his ejection for the flagrant 2 foul, Manek shall be obtainable to play, per NCAA guidelines.
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