The North Carolina Tar Heels took care of business Tuesday night in Chapel Hill, defeating conference opponent SMU 82-67. North Carolina ran out to a 39-24 lead at the half, and other than a 6-6 tie game early on, SMU would trail until the final buzzer. A stellar display from 3 point range propelled UNC to their second straight win and a 3-1 record in ACC play.
Tar Heels Rely On Range
UNC once again started four guards and a forward on Tuesday night, indicating their reliance on ball movement and perimeter shooting in a season that has seen various lineups implemented by Hubert Davis and staff. North Carolina was outrebounded 41-39 in the game, and additionally committed more turnovers by a margin of 14-11. UNC mitigated their miscues and fewer boards by shooting 11-22 from 3 point land against the Mustangs 4-18. The Tar Heels 50% success rate from behind the arc contributed to their overall floor percentage of 47.4% in the game, while SMU only managed to convert 33.3% of their attempts.
Freshman Finding Their Footing
Star senior guard RJ Davis led all scorers with 26, however emerging freshman stars Drake Powell and Ian Jackson put on a show of their own. The young phenoms are quickly becoming integral to UNC’s success this season, and both players contributed from deep in the win, with Powell connecting on 4 of his 6 attempts from 3, and Jackson hitting 3-7. Powell finished with 17 points, and Jackson scored 18 of his own to end the night. Jackson is also second in scoring for UNC this season with 14.9 PPG, while Powell averages 6.7 thus far.
RJ Davis Injury Update
Davis exited Tuesday nights contest around the 2 minute mark left in the second half with a bloody nose, and he went to the locker room and did not return. Davis seemed upbeat after the game when interviewed by reporters, stating that “I’ve had nosebleeds since I was like 7 (years old), so this is nothing new.”
Looking Ahead
North Carolina (10-6, 3-1) will travel down the road to Raleigh next, facing the rival NC State Wolfpack (8-6, 1-2), before making the short journey back to Chapel Hill in a home matchup with the California Golden Bears (7-7, 0-3).
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