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Armando Bacot explains decision to return from injury in second half of Boston College win

by:Austin Brezina•03/08/23•

AustinBrezina59

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Photo by Grant Halverson/Getty Images

UNC star Armando Bacot rolled his ankle in the first half against Boston College in the ACC Tournament but fought through to finish the game. After the win, Bacot was interviewed by ESPN’s Holly Rowe about his decision to return in the second half with the injury.

According to Bacot, he knew the stakes were “must-win” for the Tar Heels and he wasn’t going to leave anything to chance.

Armando Bacot on playing the second half against Boston College

Bacot exited North Carolina’s first game of the ACC Tournament with an ankle injury that forced him into the locker room. The injury happened after he pulled down an offensive rebound and rolled his left ankle without contact — bringing him down to the court immediately. As play continued, Bacot limped off the court under his own power but was unable to put any weight on his leg.

The UNC star then surprised fans and even his coach with his toughness, coming out to start the second half and give his team some stability to get the job finished.

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“I just took a wrong step and I rolled it a little bit, but I’m gonna be fine,” explained Baco on his injury. “I mean, it was a must win. And I didn’t want to kind of leave it out there for them to have a chance to come back. So I told the coaches… I’ll give them a good four to six minutes to just give us a bump. And then we ended up coming out [and] getting a good enough lead to where I could sit out.”

Bacot was then asked what the rehab plan was for Wednesday night with less than 24 hours to get ready for No. 2 Virginia on Thursday.

“Just a lot of ice and probably pool work. Needles. All type of stuff like that.

“I’ll be ready to go.”

Luckily, Bacot’s injury appeared to be a minor one after receiving treatment and some rest in the locker room. He started the second half to help the Tar Heels secure a 85-61 win and eliminate the Eagles. North Carolina’s backcourt was a problem all night long as Caleb Love and R.J. Davis scored a combined 40 points on 16-of-32 shooting.