The North Carolina Tar Heels were able to extend their win streak to 10 games with a win over Florida State on Saturday on the road. Despite watching the Seminoles battle back to take a lead and then keep it close in the second half, the Tar Heels flexed their muscles in the end.
And they did so without star center Armando Bacot stuffing the stat sheet.
Bacot finished the game with just 5 points and 4 rebounds but his impact was felt in other areas. The center was a force on the defensive end, a spot he’s really improved in this season. Bacot altered or blocked a few different shots, becoming a defensive stopper in the paint for the Tar Heels. And with that, it opened up an opportunity for Harrison Ingram.
The forward scored 13 points but grabbed 17 rebounds and was a big key in the win. After the game, Leonard Hamilton pointed out how Bacot still made a big impact.
“We had to fight so hard to try to defend Bacot that now you opened up opportunities for Ingram to get 15 rebounds and those others guys to drive the basket because we’re giving him so much attention but that’s what great teams do,” Hamilton said in his postgame presser.
And that’s HUGE for North Carolina.
If Bacot doesn’t stuff the stat sheet in games, he can still make a big impact like we saw on Saturday. That just makes UNC even better because they have others that can benefit from that like we’ve seen with Ingram and even Jae’Lyn Withers.
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