March Madness 2022: Caleb Love leads Carolina over UCLA into Elite 8

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Turns out, the best explanation for the shooting spree Caleb Love put on for North Carolina was also the simplest.

It’s gotta be the shoes.

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Reinvigorated by a change of sneakers at halftime, Love went crazy for the Tar Heels on Friday night. He made the game-tying and go-ahead 3-pointers 37 seconds apart to lift Carolina to a 73-66 victory over UCLA in a March Madness matchup of power programs.

Love scored 27 of his career-high 30 points in the second half, part of a barrage that included NBA-range 3s and no-look layups. His go-ahead 3 came with 1:03 left. He also hit a pair of free throws with 7.8 seconds remaining that put away the fourth-seeded Bruins for good.

North Carolina's Caleb Love reacts during the second half of a college basketball game against UCLA in the Sweet 16 round of the NCAA tournament, Friday, March 25, 2022, in Philadelphia.  (AP Photo/Chris Szagola)

The idea to change shoes came from the team's director of operations, Eric Hoots, after Love shot 1 for 8 in the first half. He shot 10 for 16 in the second.

"I’m going to give him a raise," coach Hubert Davis said of his right-hand man.

North Carolina is one win away from its 21st Final Four, which would improve on the record it already holds. Its next game is Sunday against Saint Peter’s in a first-of-its-kind 8-vs.-15 matchup in the Elite Eight. The 15th-seeded Peacocks topped Purdue 67-64 earlier in the evening.

Every bit as tantalizing, the Tar Heels and their archrival Duke, which plays Arkansas on Saturday, are each one win away from a matchup at the Final Four in New Orleans next weekend. The teams have never