2 Revealing Stats That Made Difference in UNC’s Win Saturday

The North Carolina Tar Heels overcame a 16-point deficit to defeat the Virginia Cavaliers 85-80 at John Paul Jones Arena. It was a statement result for the Tar Heels, who had recently gone through a stretch that included losing three of four games.

After snapping a two-game losing streak on Wednesday by defeating Notre Dame 91-69, North Carolina was still in need of a win against a marquee opponent.

There were several factors that played a part in how the game unfolded. Here are a couple of statistical departments that were telling.

Fast Break Points

Jan 21, 2026; Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA; North Carolina Tar Heels forward Caleb Wilson (8) with the ball in the second half at Dean E. Smith Center. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-Imagn Images | Bob Donnan-Imagn Images

North Carolina outgained Virginia 21-10 in fast break points, which was evident in the turnover battle, as the Tar Heels only committed four turnovers compared to Virginia's 11.

While speaking with the media during the postgame press conference, head coach Hubert Davis explained how North Carolina took advantage of the Cavaliers' turnovers.

Jan 21, 2026; Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA; North Carolina Tar Heels head coach Hubert Davis with guard Derek Dixon (3) in the first half at Dean E. Smith Center. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-Imagn Images | Bob Donnan-Imagn Images

“100 percent. Yeah, I mean that’s what we focus on all year. I always say, since before the season started, I want to be the fastest team in the country from free throw line to free throw line," Davis said. "And the way that we transition from defense to offense has to be real. In order to do that, you have to rebound. We rebounded better in the second half, and then, really, you talked about Jarin [Stevenson] and Caleb [Wilson], their ability to sprint down the middle of the floor; they did exactly what was told of them. They did their job and requirement, and we got some picturesque and some easy baskets that got us back in the game.”

Rebounding

Jan 21, 2026; Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA; North Carolina Tar Heels center Henri Veesaar (13) reacts in the second half at Dean E. Smith Center. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-Imagn Images | Bob Donnan-Imagn Images

In most cases, North Carolina would have lost, as it was outrebounded 44-28 and lost the offensive rebounding battle 16-8. However, the Tar Heels were able to combat those struggles and used a second-half surge to minimize the impact of Virginia's dominance on the glass.

“I always say rebounding is the number one determining factor of an outcome of a game," Davis said. "They got 16 offensive rebounds, but only 17 second-chance points - 14 of them were in the first half. So, I thought we did a better job of not letting them score when they got offensive rebounds, but we took care of the basketball, and we were really efficient offensively.”

“One of the things I kept telling them is in order to win this game, when the ball goes up in the air, or it’s on the ground, those 50/50 loose balls got to be all UNC," Davis continued. "Virginia, such a physical, unbelievable team. And in the first half, I felt like they kicked our tail. In the second half, I felt like we met the fight.”

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