By Miguel Mike Medina
Photo Credit: Scott Kinser-Imagn Images | Scott Kinser-Imagn Images
No. 12 North Carolina Tar Heels defeated East Carolina Pirates, 99-51, to improve to 12–1 on the season.
Caleb Wilson continues to be a double-double machine. In addition, he continues to fly around in slam dunks. He led the Tar Heels with 21 points, 12 rebounds, four blocks, and three steals. Henri Veesar had another good performance with 16 points. Luka Bogavac added 15. Seth Trimble had 12.
It’s one of those games where everyone in a Carolina uniform got their touches on offense.
ECU had no answer for Carolina. This is a Carolina team that was really good offensively and defensively all night long. Although the Tar Heels still struggle from the free-throw line, it wasn’t as bad as against Ohio State. However, they need to fix this problem soon.
Carolina made East Carolina suffer in the turnover department. The Tar Heels took advantage of their opponents by turning 14 points off the turnovers.
The Tar Heels’ defense has been excellent this season. It’s impressive that not a single team this season has been able to score at least 75 points against Carolina. ECU didn’t come close. ECU shot 26 percent from the field.
Of course, we can’t forget one special moment that, for many people, won’t be seen as a big deal, but it’s important for the Tar Heels team and the fans who support them. Elijah Davis, the son of Hubert Davis, will never forget this night for as long as he remembers. His dad will probably think the same.
The Tar Hesls already had the game in the bag, but David decided to make a three-pointer to score his first points as a member of the Tar Hesls.
Teams would usually be upset if a player doesn’t do this because it would feel like they’re being disrespectful, but Elijah has been through a lot, and this was a feel-good moment for him.
Elijah transferred to UNC from the University of Lynchburg before the 2024-25 season. Lynchburg is a Division III program.
During his junior season at Lynchburg, he tore his hamstring running sprints. He was out for eight weeks. The injury took a toll on him, and he probably considered quitting, but he kept fighting. Now, he gets to play for a top-notch program, and his father is on his corner.
The Tar Heels will host Florida State on December 30.
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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