This season has not been kind to North Carolina’s [autotag]Pete Nance[/autotag], but the shooting woes were quickly forgotten Saturday night after a blockbuster performance from the transfer.
Nance dominated against the Virginia Cavaliers. He led all scorers with a season-high 22-points while turning into Dikembe Mutombo on defense with four blocks.
Since Nance’s game-tying shot that sent UNC into overtime against OSU during the CBS sports classic, the transfer has seen his fair share of criticism. However, through all the memes and noise outside the locker room, Nance stayed competing, using his defense as an anchor.
Saturday’s performance was the perfect game for Nance and significantly boosted UNC. When the shots fall, Nance becomes one of the most dangerous players on the court with his ability to stretch the floor and defend.
Following North Carolina’s win over Virginia, I got to speak with some players about Nance’s colossal performance.
UNC big man Armando Bacot was all vibes after the win, and when asked about Nance’s impact, he echoed what everyone else saw.
“I thought he was amazing today,” Bacot said. “Scored from all over the floor. Shot the ball well, and he was aggressive. That is the main thing when Pete is aggressive and tries to look for a shot and score. He is huge for us, and that was huge for us today.” ‘
North Carolina guard Caleb Love shared the same thoughts while telling me why it was so good to see Pete dominate in the win.
“He put so much work in and is hearing a lot of stuff.” Love said. “The outside noise about he is not this, and he is not that. So for him to go out there and have that game and the mental toughness to block out all the noises is great.”
When Nance came out of the locker room to speak, he was bombarded immediately with mics and cameras as he spoke about what stood out the most from his performance following the win.
“I am most happy with the blocks, for sure. Nance said. “Defense is something you can do if shots aren’t going in. So that is the main thing I was happy about for sure.”
Nance followed up by describing North Carolina’s shift in the last two games.
“I think a lot of credit to each other,” Nance said. “We are boosting each other with confidence and sticking together through what we know is a hard time with our backs against the wall. There is no choice but to come together or go fast downhill. I think these last two games, we’ve really brought it together and are looking to build some good momentum heading into the last stretch of the season.”
A big quad one win is the ingredient North Carolina has been searching for in their NCAA tournament recipe. UNC has a chance to finish the season strong as they fight for a chance to dance.
The Tar Heels will be back in action Monday as they travel to take on Florida State University.
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