No. 5 Virginia got back on track with a 56-47 win over No. 7 North Carolina.
Both teams were coming off blowout losses in the ACC-Big Ten Challenge, providing little time to regroup before a Top-10 conference matchup. The offenses—which have been a problem all season—remained quiet for each side Sunday at John Paul Jones Arena.
However, Mamadi Diakite was able to make a difference for the Tar Heels, scoring 12 points to help the team escape with a tough win to remain undefeated in two ACC games. The smothering defense also held UNC under 50 points for the second game in a row, keying as much as a 17-point lead before ending up nine.