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ACC Basketball: Tar Heels’ front court helps hold off Bowman, Robinson explosion

By Carmine Carcieri

Jan 16, 2017; Chapel Hill, NC, USA; North Carolina Tar Heels head coach Roy Williams with forwards Justin Jackson (44) and Kennedy Meeks (3) in the second half. The Tar Heels defeated Syracuse Orange 85-68 at Dean E. Smith Center. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-USA TODAY Sports
Jan 16, 2017; Chapel Hill, NC, USA; North Carolina Tar Heels head coach Roy Williams with forwards Justin Jackson (44) and Kennedy Meeks (3) in the second half. The Tar Heels defeated Syracuse Orange 85-68 at Dean E. Smith Center. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-USA TODAY Sports /
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North Carolina extended their ACC basketball win streak to six games on Saturday as they held off a furious explosion from Jerome Robinson and Ky Bowman.

It was closer than the score indicates, but the North Carolina Tar Heels extended their winning streak to six games on Saturday afternoon. Roy Williams’ squad went into Conte Forum and defeated the Boston College Eagles, 90-82, holding off what was a ferocious effort from Ky Bowman and Jerome Robinson.

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The Eagles’ guards combined to score 51 points on 20-of-40 shooting, but it was North Carolina’s front court that helped the Tar Heels fend off that effort.

Kennedy Meeks scored 20 points on 9-of-16 shooting and pulled down nine rebounds, while Isaiah Hicks added 14 points on 4-of-5 shooting. Justin Jackson (22 points) pitched in on the interior and even Theo Pinson (11 points) helped spark the Heels with two key put backs down the stretch.

North Carolina racked up 38 points in the paint, was +12 on the boards, snagged 16 offensive boards and earned 24-second chance points. They also made a concerted effort to throw the ball down low and attack the paint from the get-go.

And that was just too overwhelming for a Boston College team that lacks rim protection and front court prowess beyond Maurice Jeffers.

While the interior play was excellent, North Carolina struggled to defend the perimeter for the most of the day. They let Bowman and Robinson attack the lane on a possession-by-possession basis and gave up too many open threes.

“We weren’t sharp defensively, that’s the bottom line,” Williams said postgame. “We played four games in eight or nine days and that’s an excuse and I’m not going to allow them to use it, but we got to be sharper defensively.”

But the Tar Heels did lock up down the stretch, and Joel Berry II (who was quiet for most of the afternoon) drilled a dagger three from the right wing to put UNC up nine with 1:13 remaining.

The defense effort wasn’t great but it was good enough to earn their sixth straight victory.

North Carolina is now 6-1 in the ACC and is currently tied with Notre Dame in the conference standings. The Tar Heels are the best team in the ACC right now because of their experience, depth, and interior play, but this conference is so loaded that things can change on a week-by-week basis.

The Tar Heels do have a “soft” stretch coming up, though, as they return home on Thursday to face Virginia Tech before playing two games against Miami (on the road) and Pittsburgh (at home). Then, UNC will have to host Notre Dame before traveling to Durham to take on the Duke Blue Devils.

For Boston College, the improvements from this team are evident. They have one of the top young backcourts in the ACC and have already won two more ACC games than all of last season. Sure, they were crushed by Virginia and Syracuse, but they competed on the road against Duke and went toe-to-toe with UNC for 38 minutes.

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Regardless of how good of a job Jim Christian is doing in Chestnut Hill, North Carolina is in another class right now. They are the top team in the ACC and they are a true Final Four contender. And nothing changed after Saturday.