MBB Heads To Virginia Looking For Third Straight Win

GAME 17: AT VIRGINIA
• Carolina and Virginia, two of six teams tied for fourth place at 3-2 in the Atlantic Coast Conference standings, play for the 194th time when the Tar Heels travel to Charlottesville for a 9 p.m. tip on Tuesday, January 10.
• The Tar Heels lead the ACC in scoring (81.4 points per game), while Virginia leads the league in fewest points allowed (59.6).
• Carolina got 21 points, 13 rebounds, four assists and two blocks from Armando Bacot, three first-half threes and 18 points from Caleb Love and 18 points off the bench from Puff Johnson (season-high 11) and D’Marco Dunn (career-high seven) in an 81-64 win over Notre Dame on Saturday.
• Bacot earned his second ACC Player-of-the-Week award this season and fifth of his career for his play against Wake Forest (21 points, nine rebounds, five assists) and Notre Dame.
• The Tar Heels played the Irish without Pete Nance, who strained his back at Pittsburgh and has played only two minutes in the last two games. Freshman Seth Trimble made his first start in place of Nance vs. the Irish.
• Carolina has won six of its last seven games to improve to 11-5 overall. The Tar Heels entered a nine-day Christmas break winners of four straight, lost at Pittsburgh on December 30 but has opened the new year with home wins over Wake Forest (by nine) and Notre Dame (by 17).
• Not coincidentally, the Tar Heels have had more assists than turnovers in each of their last seven games, while they had more turnovers than assists in all four of their consecutive losses in late November-early December that exited them from the top 25.
• Virginia is 13-2 overall. The Cavaliers won their first eight games this season and have split their last six, including a 73-66 home win over Syracuse on Saturday.
• Both teams count recent losses at Pittsburgh. The Panthers overcame a six-point Tar Heel lead at the half to win, 76-74, while Virginia lost a 10-point halftime advantage as Pitt recovered for a 68-65 victory on January 3.
• Bacot, the ACC’s Preseason Player of the Year, has scored 20 or more points in five straight games for the first time in his career, including back-to-back 21-point efforts in the wins over Wake Forest and Notre Dame.
• Bacot leads the ACC in scoring (18.8 ppg), rebounding (11.2 rpg) and offensive rebounding (4.6) and is fourth in field goal…