By Miguel Mike Medina
Photo: Jeffrey A. Camarati
North Carolina Tar Heels finally delivered a lopsided win this season, and it came against their ACC rival, NC State. Carolina dominated the Wolfpacks 97-73.
UNC shared the ball effectively, picked up offensive rebounds, and won the rebounding game in general (33 to 19). Carolina’s bench scored 43 points, the second-most of the season.
Tar Heels made a statement and set the tone from the beginning. The team went on two runs: 22 to 4 and 31-9. Carolina never took their foot off the gas.
RJ Davis had an outstanding game. He drew fouls, showed strength coming down the lane, and made the proper adjustments. Davis led the Tar Heels with 21 points.
Ian Jackson added 12 points off the bench. Ven-Allen-Lubin added 13 points.
Seth Trimble had one of the best performances of the season. He played with a lot of urgency, especially in the first half. Trimble finished with 15 points and seven rebounds.
When Trimble and Drake Powell are simultaneously on the floor, their defense is much more lethal and effective. Powell is the unsung hero for the Tar Heels. It’s the little things he doesn’t that produce positive outcomes.
“I thought our defense was really good,” Hubert Davis said. “We stayed with their shooters and didn’t allow lanes.”
Going with a bigger lineup seems to work in the Tar Heels’ favor. Elliot Cadeau should be coming off the bench. He continues to play sloppily by committing turnovers. He needs to clean it up.
Carolina must generate runs for the team to succeed going forward. This win against the Wolfpacks could change their season.
Where was this team all season long? The Tar Heels on Wednesday night looked different than any other game this season. The crowd was electric, and they were loud, especially after every dunk and second-chance point.
https://twitter.com/UNC_Basketball/status/1892630037406298254
Tar Heels will play Virginia at home on Saturday at 4pm EST.
Miguel Mike Medina is the publisher of The MMM Journal. He can be reached at medinamiguelmike@gmail.com and themmmjournal@gmail.com
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