CHARLOTTE, N.C. — The last time the Virginia Cavaliers played at the Spectrum Center, they left with a nasty taste in their mouths. They had just been upset by UMBC, becoming the first NCAA Tournament No. 1 seed to lose to a 16-seed.
When they returned to Charlotte on Thursday, two days before the one-year anniversary of that loss, they wanted to make sure they left the arena on a better note. They did just that against North Carolina State in the ACC Tournament quarterfinals.
MORE: March Madness bracket predictions
The top-seeded Cavs (29-2) did encounter uncomfortable moments during their 76-56 victory — they let a double-digit lead slip away in the first half and trailed by two after 20 minutes — but they weren't worried about repeating history.
"I think we’ve grown from that experience. We've owned it. We've talked about it," Virginia coach Tony Bennett said. "We had a great year last year and a hard loss, but it’s time to press on."
Bennett's veteran players understood what the team needed to do against eighth-seeded State (22-11): take care of the ball, buckle down on defense and make shots.
MORE: ACC Tournament results, scores, schedule
"Calm is contagious. It starts with coach Bennett and ripples all the way down to our first-years. When you have experience, you stay calm in these situations," said junior guard Kyle Guy, who led all scorers with 29 points and set a school record for an ACC Tournament game with seven 3-pointers.
UVA made a lot of shots in the second half (63 percent from the floor), and the Pack just could not keep up. Guy finished 10 for 13 from the field and 7 for 9 from 3.
MORE: Last-second shot leads FSU past Va. Tech in OT
Virginia also received a surprise boost from senior big man Jack Salt, who scored a career-high 18 points after not scoring in his previous five games.
The Cavs' defense, meanwhile, found a way to stop State's Derek Funderburk, who scored 10 points off the bench in the first half but just two in the second half.
UVA, ranked second in the nation, will continue its pursuit of back-to-back ACC titles Friday when it takes on No. 4 Florida State in the ACC semifinals. N.C. State will now await its NCAA fate on Selection Sunday.