Facing the quick Saturday-Monday turnaround that comes with high rankings and television coverage, the Virginia men’s basketball team responded to its second loss of the season with a resilient road win against North Carolina on Monday. The Tar Heels took the lead midway through the second half, but UVA responded with a strong final 10 minutes to win 69-61.

The win marked just the fifth time in program history that Virginia won at the Smith Center, though UVA has won six of the last seven regular season meetings between the teams. The Wahoos are now 7-1 in true road games this season.

The victory sets up another two games in three days situation on the schedule as the Cavaliers host Notre Dame on Saturday before heading to Virginia Tech on Monday. Before we see how the Hoos handle the double dip again, though, the Double Bonus is back for a look at some trends emerging from the North Carolina game.

A Turning Point?

While UVA’s defense has ranked in the top 5 nationally in defensive efficiency again this season – currently sitting third at .860 points per possession (ppp) – the execution on that end hasn’t been up to Virginia, Tony Bennett level consistency in my mind this season.

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