Bacot, UNC beat Notre Dame 101-59, advance to ACC quarters
- Mar. 15, 2021 09:20 PM EDT
Notre Dame head coach Mike Brey directs his team during the second half of an NCAA college basketball game against North Carolina in the second round of the Atlantic Coast Conference tournament in Greensboro, N.C., Wednesday, March 10, 2021. (AP Photo/Gerry Broome)
Notre Dame head coach Mike Brey directs his team during the second half of an NCAA college basketball game against North Carolina in the second round of the Atlantic Coast Conference tournament in Greensboro, N.C., Wednesday, March 10, 2021. (AP Photo/Gerry Broome)
Notre Dame forward Matt Zona (25) takes a shot as North Carolina guard Leaky Black (1) and teammate forward Walker Kessler, top, during the second half of an NCAA college basketball game in the second round of the Atlantic Coast Conference tournament in Greensboro, N.C., Wednesday, March 10, 2021. (AP Photo/Gerry Broome)
North Carolina guard Anthony Harris (0) takes a shot over Notre Dame guard Tony Sanders Jr. (12) and forward Matt Zona (25) during the second half of an NCAA college basketball game in the second round of the Atlantic Coast Conference tournament in Greensboro, N.C., Wednesday, March 10, 2021. (AP Photo/Gerry Broome)
North Carolina head coach Roy Williams directs his team during the second half of an NCAA college basketball game against Notre Dame in the second round of the Atlantic Coast Conference tournament in Greensboro, N.C., Wednesday, March 10, 2021. (AP Photo/Gerry Broome)
Notre Dame guard Cormac Ryan (5) grabs the ball as North Carolina forward Armando Bacot (5) and teammate guard Kerwin Walton (24) defend during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game in the second round of the Atlantic Coast Conference tournament in Greensboro, N.C., Wednesday, March 10, 2021. (AP Photo/Gerry Broome)
North Carolina forward Walker Kessler (13) takes a shot over Notre Dame guard Cormac Ryan (5) during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game in the second round of the Atlantic Coast Conference tournament in Greensboro, N.C., Wednesday, March 10, 2021. (AP Photo/Gerry Broome)
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GREENSBORO, N.C. (AP) — Big men Armando Bacot and freshmen Day'Ron Sharpe and Walker Kessler each had a double-double and North Carolina dominated inside in its 101-59 win over Notre Dame on Wednesday night at the ACC tournament.

No. 6 seed UNC (17-9) plays third-seeded Virginia Tech in the quarterfinals Thursday.

Bacot, a 6-foot-10 sophomore, finished with 20 points and 13 rebounds. Kessler added 16 points and a career-best 12 rebounds and Sharpe had 14 points, 10 boards and a career-high six assists. Kessler added eight blocks, the most by a UNC freshman in program history and an ACC tourney single-game record.

Sharpe made three baskets in a 49-second span to make it 9-5 and the Tar Heels led the rest of the way. A 9-0 run pushed the lead into double figures for good midway through the first half and North Carolina scored 22 consecutive points during a 52-4 run that made it 101-51 with 2:65 remaining.

Prentiss Hubb and Nate Laszewski scored 13 points apiece for No. 11 seed Notre Dame (11-15).

North Carolina shot 51% from the field and had its highest-scoring game since the 2018-19 season, when the Tar Heels topped the 100-point plateau six times.

UNC outrebounded the Fighting Irish 54-31, scored 25 second-chance points off 27 offensive rebounds, and outscored Notre Dame 56-20 inside. The Tar Heels finished with a season-high 12 blocks.

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