By Bret Strelow
bstrelow@salisburypost.com
CHAPEL HILL ó North Carolina didn’t score nearly as many points, but neither did its opponent.
Third-ranked UNC held on to its share of first place by securing a 76-61 victory against Virginia on Saturday afternoon at the Smith Center.
Five days ago, the Tar Heels scored 108 points but allowed 91 to Maryland at home. Style points ó like conventional ones ó were harder to come by in their final tuneup before a showdown with ACC co-leader Duke.
“All games aren’t won the pretty way where we’re making shots and getting up and down the floor,” UNC guard Wayne Ellington said. “It was a grind-it-out type of game, and that’s something we needed to have.”
Ellington led the Tar Heels (21-2, 7-2) with 20 points, and an under-the-weather Danny Green had 17.
Tyler Hansbrough (15 points, 13 rebounds) tied Wake Forest great Dickie Hemric for second place on the ACC’s all-time scoring list, and point guard Ty Lawson didn’t commit a turnover in a 10-point, nine-assist performance.
North Carolina and Virginia (7-12, 1-7) both shot less than 34 percent in the first half, and the Tar Heels took a 33-25 lead into the break.
“When it starts off ugly like that, you have to do things defensively to get stops,” Hansbrough said.
UNC executed more effectively against the Cavs’ zone in the second half, which started with a 7-0 run by the Tar Heels.
They finally established a 20-point lead when Green scored with 6:49 remaining, and Virginia trailed 71-48 heading to the final media timeout.
“I thought it was an unusual game because the first half it was like pulling teeth,” UNC coach Roy Williams said. “We couldn’t get a shot to go in, but I thought we were doing OK on the defensive end.
“The first 16 minutes of the second half, I thought we were very good.”
The Cavaliers shot 36.5 percent for the game and matched their point total from a home loss to UNC on Jan. 15.
The Tar Heels allowed a season-low 48 points to UNC Asheville and 58 to Kentucky in November. They beat Nevada 84-61 on Dec. 31 but have struggled to hold down ACC foes in the new year.
“We were able to keep (Virginia) from leading at halftime because of our defense,” Lawson said. “That’s what we need to do from now on even if our shots are going down.”