In front of a raucous John Paul Jones Arena crowd, the Virginia Cavaliers got a huge lift from graduate forward Sam Brunelle in Sunday’s 81-66 upset win over then-No. 20 North Carolina.
It’s been an up-and-down season for Brunelle, but against UNC the fan-favorite from Ruckersville finished with 14 points (5-9 FG, 4-5 3PT), 7 rebounds, 2 assists and 2 steals in 30 minutes of action — exactly the spark Virginia needed to secure its second victory over a ranked opponent in the span of a week.
“We played that entire game with heart,” Brunelle said postgame on ACC Network’s Nothing But Net.