Cormac Ryan scores 18 and No. 10 North Carolina finally wins at Virginia, 54-44
CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. (AP) With its two star players doing little in a challenging first half, No. 10 North Carolina needed someone to emerge as an alternative against Virginia.
Enter Cormac Ryan.
He scored 18 points - 15 in the first half - on six 3-pointers and the Tar Heels moved into first place in the Atlantic Coast Conference with a 54-44 victory Saturday.
“Against Virginia, you’re gonna have to knock down some some shots,” Tar Heels coach Hubert Davis said. “And he was the only one that consistently was able to shoot the ball from 3. And that was huge for us from the standpoint of him making them. But him making them I think stretched out their defense.”
Ryan, who made four 3s each in his last two games, led the Tar Heels in scoring for the first time, and his first half shooting opened things up inside after halftime.
“We were able to get some baskets around in the paint because of Cormac and his ability to shoot the basketball,” Hubert Davis said.
RJ Davis added 12 points - all in the second half - and Armando Bacot had 10 points and 13 rebounds for the Tar Heels (21-6, 13-3), who moved into the top spot alone because No. 8 Duke lost earlier in the day at Wake Forest. The victory also ended an eight-game losing streak at John Paul Jones Arena for North Carolina, but Hubert Davis said his team's mindset won't change with four regular season games left.
“There’s more to be said and more to be done,” he said.
Jordan Minor had 12 points and 10 rebounds for the Cavaliers (20-8, 11-6), who could not recover from a 15-minute stretch in the first half during which they missed 22 of 23 field goals tries, leading to a 16-4 North Carolina run. More frustrating for Virginia was that it came with Bacot on the bench in foul trouble.
“The offense had a tough day. Yeah, it’s been a common thread the past couple games at that end," coach Tony Bennett said while crediting his defense for keeping it close. “I think the defense, there was a couple breakdowns, crucial. And we put a lot of pressure on our defense down the stretch. We had the possession or we lost a guy, but the defense held us in there enough.”
North Carolina never trailed after the opening minute. It was just 26-16 at halftime, and Virginia closed to within six three times early in the second half, and to within 47-42 with just over two minutes to play, but Minor missed the front end of a one-and-one with 1:50 left and Harrison Ingram got free underneath for an easy lay-in at the other end to make it 49-42.
After a basket by Elijah Gertrude got Virginia within five again, Ingram made a free throw, the Tar Heels rebounded his miss and RJ Davis made a pair to seal it.
The Tar Heels were playing for the first time in a week since a 96-81 victory against Virginia Tech. Two night later, the Hokies beat the Cavaliers 75-41.
BIG PICTURE
North Carolina: RJ Davis (ACC-high 21.3 ppg) was scoreless at halftime and finished 1 for 14 from the field. Bacot (14.6 ppg) had only two points at the break after playing just more than seven minutes before picking up his second foul.
Virginia: The Cavaliers' offensive has been regressing steadily of late, even before the horrid first half against the Tar Heels. Two games ago, they missed their first 10 free throws in a 49-47 victory against Wake Forest. They then managed just 41 points on 32.4% shooting in their 34-point loss at Virginia Tech.
UP NEXT
North Carolina is at home against Miami on Monday night.
Virginia plays at Boston College on Wednesday night.
---
Get poll alerts and updates on AP Top 25 basketball throughout the season. Sign up here --- AP college basketball: https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-basketball-poll and https://apnews.com/hub/college-basketball
Copyright 2024 STATS LLC and Associated Press. Any commercial use or distribution without the express written consent of STATS LLC and Associated Press is strictly prohibited.
Time | Team | Play | Score | |
---|---|---|---|---|
20:00 | (Tar Heels gains possession) | |||
19:48 | RJ Davis misses three point jump shot | |||
19:46 | Ryan Dunn defensive rebound | |||
19:24 | +2 | Reece Beekman makes two point jump shot | 0-2 | |
19:10 | +2 | Harrison Ingram makes two point layup (Armando Bacot assists) | 2-2 | |
18:41 | Ryan Dunn misses two point jump shot | |||
18:39 | Harrison Ingram defensive rebound | |||
18:32 | +3 | Cormac Ryan makes three point jump shot (Elliot Cadeau assists) | 5-2 | |
18:12 | +2 | Reece Beekman makes two point jump shot | 5-4 | |
17:46 | Jordan Minor personal foul | |||
17:43 | Cormac Ryan misses two point jump shot | |||
17:41 | Armando Bacot offensive rebound | |||
17:38 | +2 | Armando Bacot makes two point layup | 7-4 | |
17:19 | Andrew Rohde misses three point jump shot | |||
17:17 | Jordan Minor offensive rebound | |||
17:14 | Jordan Minor misses two point jump shot | |||
17:12 | Armando Bacot defensive rebound | |||
16:45 | RJ Davis misses three point jump shot | |||
16:43 | Jordan Minor defensive rebound | |||
16:20 | Isaac McKneely misses two point jump shot | |||
16:18 | Harrison Ingram defensive rebound | |||
15:57 | +2 | Elliot Cadeau makes two point layup | 9-4 | |
15:36 | Ryan Dunn misses two point jump shot | |||
15:34 | Elliot Cadeau defensive rebound | |||
15:33 | Ryan Dunn personal foul | |||
15:33 | TV timeout | |||
15:14 | RJ Davis turnover | |||
14:56 | Armando Bacot blocks Isaac McKneely's two point layup | |||
14:54 | Jae'Lyn Withers defensive rebound | |||
14:43 | Jae'Lyn Withers misses two point jump shot | |||
14:41 | Jacob Groves defensive rebound | |||
14:26 | Reece Beekman misses two point jump shot | |||
14:24 | Seth Trimble defensive rebound | |||
14:05 | Ryan Dunn blocks RJ Davis's two point layup | |||
14:03 | Reece Beekman defensive rebound | |||
13:55 | Reece Beekman misses two point layup | |||
13:53 | Armando Bacot defensive rebound | |||
13:46 | Harrison Ingram misses two point jump shot | |||
13:46 | Ryan Dunn defensive rebound | |||
13:46 | Armando Bacot personal foul | |||
13:20 | RJ Davis blocks Jacob Groves's two point jump shot | |||
13:18 | Jae'Lyn Withers defensive rebound | |||
12:49 | Blake Buchanan blocks Seth Trimble's two point jump shot | |||
12:47 | Blake Buchanan defensive rebound | |||
12:39 | Armando Bacot personal foul | |||
12:26 | Blake Buchanan misses two point jump shot | |||
12:24 | Jae'Lyn Withers defensive rebound | |||
12:07 | Jalen Washington misses two point jump shot | |||
12:05 | Taine Murray defensive rebound | |||
11:50 | Jacob Groves misses two point jump shot | |||
11:48 | Jalen Washington defensive rebound | |||
11:37 | Jacob Groves personal foul | |||
11:37 | TV timeout | |||
11:32 | +3 | Cormac Ryan makes three point jump shot (Elliot Cadeau assists) | 12-4 | |
11:18 | Jalen Washington blocks Dante Harris's two point layup | |||
11:16 | Cavaliers offensive rebound | |||
11:07 | Isaac McKneely misses three point jump shot | |||
11:05 | Seth Trimble defensive rebound | |||
10:44 | Harrison Ingram turnover (Dante Harris steals) | |||
10:26 | Dante Harris misses two point jump shot | |||
10:24 | Dante Harris offensive rebound | |||
10:11 | +2 | Blake Buchanan makes two point dunk (Reece Beekman assists) | 12-6 | |
9:50 | Harrison Ingram misses three point jump shot | |||
9:48 | Cavaliers defensive rebound | |||
9:36 | Andrew Rohde turnover (traveling) | |||
9:26 | Jacob Groves blocks Elliot Cadeau's two point layup | |||
9:24 | Dante Harris defensive rebound | |||
9:15 | RJ Davis personal foul | |||
9:11 | Andrew Rohde misses three point jump shot | |||
9:09 | Cormac Ryan defensive rebound | |||
8:41 | Cormac Ryan misses three point jump shot | |||
8:39 | Dante Harris defensive rebound | |||
8:30 | Jae'Lyn Withers blocks Reece Beekman's two point layup | |||
8:28 | Elliot Cadeau defensive rebound | |||
8:21 | +2 | Elliot Cadeau makes two point layup | 14-6 | |
8:05 | Reece Beekman misses two point jump shot | |||
8:03 | Jalen Washington defensive rebound | |||
7:55 | Cormac Ryan misses three point jump shot | |||
7:53 | Jacob Groves defensive rebound | |||
7:35 | Blake Buchanan misses two point jump shot | |||
7:33 | Jalen Washington defensive rebound | |||
7:10 | Blake Buchanan shooting foul (Jalen Washington draws the foul) | |||
7:10 | TV timeout | |||
7:10 | Jalen Washington misses regular free throw 1 of 2 | |||
7:10 | +1 | Jalen Washington makes regular free throw 2 of 2 | 15-6 | |
6:58 | Cormac Ryan personal foul | |||
6:49 | Elijah Gertrude misses three point jump shot | |||
6:47 | Harrison Ingram defensive rebound | |||
6:18 | +3 | Cormac Ryan makes three point jump shot (Elliot Cadeau assists) | 18-6 | |
5:57 | Elliot Cadeau shooting foul (Reece Beekman draws the foul) | |||
5:57 | +1 | Reece Beekman makes regular free throw 1 of 2 | 18-7 | |
5:57 | +1 | Reece Beekman makes regular free throw 2 of 2 | 18-8 | |
5:31 | Elliot Cadeau turnover (bad pass) | |||
5:20 | RJ Davis blocks Reece Beekman's two point layup | |||
5:18 | Jalen Washington defensive rebound | |||
5:06 | Ryan Dunn personal foul | |||
5:05 | Cavaliers 30 second timeout | |||
4:52 | +3 | Cormac Ryan makes three point jump shot (Elliot Cadeau assists) | 21-8 | |
4:32 | Elliot Cadeau personal foul | |||
4:25 | Jalen Washington blocks Jordan Minor's two point layup | |||
4:23 | Jalen Washington defensive rebound | |||
4:06 | Jalen Washington turnover (Elijah Gertrude steals) | |||
3:45 | Jalen Washington blocks Elijah Gertrude's two point layup | |||
3:43 | Harrison Ingram defensive rebound | |||
3:35 | Isaac McKneely personal foul | |||
3:35 | TV timeout | |||
3:33 | RJ Davis misses two point jump shot | |||
3:31 | Reece Beekman defensive rebound | |||
3:08 | Elijah Gertrude misses three point jump shot | |||
3:06 | Jordan Minor offensive rebound | |||
3:02 | +2 | Jordan Minor makes two point layup | 21-10 | |
2:36 | RJ Davis misses three point jump shot | |||
2:34 | Elijah Gertrude defensive rebound | |||
2:34 | James Okonkwo personal foul | |||
2:34 | +1 | Jordan Minor makes regular free throw 1 of 2 | 21-11 | |
2:34 | +1 | Jordan Minor makes regular free throw 2 of 2 | 21-12 | |
2:21 | Harrison Ingram misses two point jump shot | |||
2:19 | Reece Beekman defensive rebound | |||
2:13 | Isaac McKneely misses three point jump shot | |||
2:13 | Elijah Gertrude offensive rebound | |||
2:13 | James Okonkwo personal foul | |||
2:13 | +1 | Elijah Gertrude makes regular free throw 1 of 2 | 21-13 | |
2:13 | +1 | Elijah Gertrude makes regular free throw 2 of 2 | 21-14 | |
2:03 | +3 | Cormac Ryan makes three point jump shot (Harrison Ingram assists) | 24-14 | |
1:38 | Jalen Washington blocks Jordan Minor's two point layup | |||
1:36 | Jalen Washington defensive rebound | |||
1:25 | RJ Davis offensive foul | |||
1:25 | RJ Davis turnover (offensive foul) | |||
1:05 | Isaac McKneely turnover (Harrison Ingram steals) | |||
1:02 | +2 | Harrison Ingram makes two point layup | 26-14 | |
1:02 | Elijah Gertrude shooting foul (Harrison Ingram draws the foul) | |||
1:02 | Harrison Ingram misses regular free throw 1 of 1 | |||
1:02 | Elijah Gertrude defensive rebound | |||
0:53 | Jalen Washington shooting foul (Elijah Gertrude draws the foul) | |||
0:53 | Elijah Gertrude misses regular free throw 1 of 2 | |||
0:53 | Elijah Gertrude misses regular free throw 2 of 2 | |||
0:53 | Harrison Ingram defensive rebound | |||
0:30 | Jalen Washington turnover (Reece Beekman steals) | |||
0:26 | +2 | Reece Beekman makes two point dunk | 26-16 | |
0:21 | Tar Heels 30 second timeout | |||
0:02 | Cormac Ryan misses three point jump shot | |||
0:00 | RJ Davis offensive rebound | |||
0:00 | RJ Davis misses two point layup | |||
0:00 | Cavaliers defensive rebound | |||
0:00 | End of period |