CHAPEL HILL – UNC basketball coach Hubert Davis knows the stat.

The Tar Heels’ third-year coach mentioned it Friday during a press conference inside the media room at the Dean E. Smith Center.

“That’s four out of the last five games, we’ve taken more 3s than free throws,” Davis said of No. 7 UNC (19-6, 11-3 ACC), which has lost three of its last five games.

“That’s just not gonna work.”

The Tar Heels will try to reverse that trend against Virginia Tech (14-10, 6-7) on Saturday (2 p.m., ACC Network) in Chapel Hill.

During its recent five-game stretch, UNC has shot more 3s than free throws in three straight games. The Tar Heels, who make the 12th-most free throws (18) per game in the nation, attempted more 3s than free throws in just four of their first 20 games.

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“That’s something that I emphasize every day, whether it’s practice or a game. We want to dominate points in the paint through post penetration and offensive rebounding. We want to live in the paint and live at the free-throw line,” Davis said.

“For us, we’ve gotten to the free-throw line more than anybody in the ACC, because of our persistence to attack the basket and get to the paint. It’s a big key for us offensively, it’s a big key for us in our success. That’s something that we have to change and have to get back to.”

Staff writer Rodd Baxley can be reached at rbaxley@fayobserver.com or @RoddBaxley on X/Twitter. 

This article originally appeared on The Fayetteville Observer: UNC basketball coach Hubert Davis keys in on Tar Heels' free throws