UNC Basketball Moments After – UNC vs. Notre Dame 76-56 Win 

UNC Tar Heels Basketball Team Starts Fast and Cruises to Victory Over Notre Dame in the Second Round of the ACC Tournament

by Derrick Isaiah Clyburn

The North Carolina basketball team played their first game of the 2025 ACC tournament against Notre Dame on Wednesday afternoon. The Tar Heels are looking to make a statement in this tournament and solidify their spot in the NCAA tournament with a few impressive wins over the course of the next four days. UNC came out the gates on a mission, playing suffocating, intense defense on the Fighting Irish and displaying some outstanding ball movement that led to quality shots every time down the floor. The Heels started the game on a 22-8 run and never looked back, leading by as much as 21 in the first half. Carolina had 10 assists on their first 14 made baskets, shot 47% from the floor, and made a season-high 9 threes in the first half. Jaelyn Withers was the main catalyst for the Tar Heels’ hot shooting from three with 5 of his threes in the first half. While the offense was clicking on all cylinders, the Heels also brought it defensively holding Notre Dame to just 29% from the field as UNC led by 17 going into halftime. 

In the second half, North Carolina continued to dominate Notre Dame on both ends of the floor.  The Fighting Irish had no answers for Carolina’s defensive ball pressure or the variety of ways that the Heels could score the ball. The Tar Heels made it as difficult as possible for the Fighting Irish offense throughout the game and held Notre Dame to just 32% from the floor. Offensively, UNC made a constant effort to exploit mismatches and move the ball to the open man, which led to 19 assists on 28 made field goals for the Tar Heels. Carolina led this game from start to finish and played an overall complete game, where they flexed how good offensively and defensively they can be in the same game. Jaelyn Withers, Ven Allen Lubin, and RJ Davis finished the game in double figures with 21, 17, and 13 points respectively to lead the Heels to an impressive first win of the ACC tournament.  

UNC Stats

Final

	1	2	T
ND	29	27	56
UNC	43	33	76

UNC Bright Spots  

Jaelyn Withers had 21 points, 9 rebounds, 2 steals, 2 blocks, and 1 assist. 

Ven Allen-Lubin had 17 points, 10 rebounds, 2 blocks, 1 assist, and 1 steal. 

RJ Davis had 13 points, 6 assists, and 3 rebounds.  

Needs Work  

The Tar Heels must prioritize every possession on both sides of the floor. Every play and possession matters and should be just as important as the last. They cannot afford to get lazy and not give their all on either end of the floor. It’s win or go-home time so leave it all on the floor every time you play.  

The Tar Heels must convert better at the free throw line. They shot 58% from the line today, which is unacceptable. Being aggressive and getting to the free throw line is a staple for this team so they must take advantage of those opportunities. It could come back to bite them in a close game if they don’t address the free throw woes. 

Final Observations 

After today’s win, the Tar Heels improved to 5-1 in the second round of ACC tournament games and started their journey to secure a spot in the NCAA tournament. The Tar Heels put together an impressive performance on both ends of the floor today, making it one of the most complete games they have played all season long. Carolina held Notre Dame to just 32% from the floor and 56 points. UNC has won 14 straight games when holding its opponent under 40 percent shooting from the field and 26 in a row when holding their opponent under 60 points. They hit 13 threes on 46% of their attempts and are 19-5 this season when they make at least 30% of their three-point attempts. Jaelyn Withers was the breakout star of this game with a career-high 21 points. With the Heels possibly playing four days in a row, they will need someone different to step up and make a huge contribution in each game outside of their leading scorer RJ Davis. The Tar Heels are off to a great start and will need to bring the same sense of urgency, intensity, energy, and effort to each game with the NCAA tournament hopes on the line. Next up is Wake Forest tomorrow, March 13 at 2:30 P.M. on ESPN, ESPN 2, or the ACC Network.