No. 5 seed North Carolina punched its ticket to the ACC Tournament semifinals with a gritty 68-59 win over fourth-seeded Wake Forest on Thursday night, securing head coach Hubert Davis’ 100th career victory. RJ Davis led the Tar Heels with 23 points and knocked down five three-pointers, while Ven-Allen Lubin recorded a double-double with 10 points and 13 rebounds.
The victory marks North Carolina’s eighth win in its last nine games, propelling them into a highly anticipated semifinal matchup against No. 1 seed Duke on Friday. However, Duke head coach Jon Scheyer has already tempered expectations regarding the availability of star freshman Cooper Flagg, calling it a “real longshot” that he will play due to an ankle sprain.
Wake Forest (21-11) was aiming for its first ACC Tournament semifinal appearance since 2006 and held a lead late in the second half before North Carolina’s decisive closing stretch. With 4:35 remaining, Jae’Lyn Withers rattled in a three-pointer from the corner to put the Tar Heels ahead 57-56, a lead they would not relinquish.
North Carolina then delivered the knockout blow with a 6-0 run, pushing its advantage to 63-57 with just over two minutes left. Lubin split a pair of free throws but made his impact felt on the defensive end, blocking a shot to set up a deep three-pointer by Davis—his fifth of the game. Moments later, Lubin capped the run with an emphatic alley-oop dunk.
Wake Forest’s Hunter Sallis, who led all scorers with 25 points, briefly stopped the bleeding with a jumper to cut the deficit to 65-59, but Lubin answered again with a powerful putback dunk with 1:27 remaining. North Carolina’s defense then sealed the win, as Drake Powell intercepted an inbounds pass, leading to a pair of free throws by Seth Trimble, who also finished with 10 points.
The Tar Heels nearly suffered a major setback when Davis turned his left ankle with 6:49 left in the game after stepping on Juke Harris’ foot. However, after a brief pause, he returned to sink two free throws that put North Carolina back on top at 54-53. His resilience proved crucial in the final minutes as he continued to make key plays on both ends.
For Wake Forest, Sallis carried the scoring load, but the Demon Deacons struggled in crunch time, enduring a nearly five-minute field-goal drought. Tre’Von Spillers added 10 points and nine rebounds, while Efton Reid III grabbed 10 boards.
With the win, North Carolina (22-12) sets up a semifinal showdown against top-seeded Duke, adding another chapter to college basketball’s most storied rivalry. The Blue Devils, however, may be without Flagg, their highly touted freshman, who is dealing with an ankle injury.
As the Tar Heels ride their late-season momentum, Friday’s matchup promises to be another intense battle between two ACC heavyweights.
