The Tar Heels scored the most points in a half since 2006( Florida Atlantic), had an 18-0 run to start the game and Caleb Love was 5 of 6 from deep in the first half. The Seminoles started 0-10 from the field causing head coach Leonard Hamilton to call multiple timeouts in efforts to stifle the Heels. It didn’t help. The game was over before it started, with North Carolina blowing out Florida State 62-24 at halftime. The final score was the 94-74.
It’s important to note that Florida State was missing two starters – Anthony Polite and Malik Osborne. Starting point forward and Seminoles’ leading scorer Caleb Mills also suffered an injury with 7:00 remaining in the first half. He would miss the remainder of the contest.
The Heels exhibited flashes of past infamous UNC teams with transition points, interior play, high-low action and stout perimeter defense. 22 assists were a season high for the Heels. They also had 20 transition points, which is exactly what a UNC team looking to build their resume heading into the final weeks of the regular season needed.
During the post game Hubert Davis praised his team’s defense, saying it was the catalyst to the win.
“We have identified our recipe for success and the first thing to do is get after it on the defensive end. “Of course we want to run more,” he added. I feel like we’re the best in the country in transition, but it all starts on defense”
Eight Tar Heels filled the stat sheet, led by Caleb Love with 18 points, 6 assists, and 3 rebounds. Brady Manek scored 16 points, 3 assists, 5 rebounds. Armando Bacot finished with 17 points and 14 rebounds – his 19th double doulbe of the season and 37th of his playing career. As Hubert Davis stated, he’s the ACC Player of the Year.
Next up for Heels is a matchup against the Pittsburgh Panthers, 8 P.M. Wednesday night.
Carolina Notes
- Carolina won its 10th ACC game, the 45th time in 68 seasons Carolina has won at least 10 regular-season ACC games.
- Carolina is 13-1 at the Smith Center this season.
- It was the first time UNC opened with 18 straight points since 2/16/2019 at Wake Forest.
- FSU scored its first point on a free throw with 13:03 to play in the first half and its first field goal with 11:31 to play in the half.
- FSU missed its first 10 field goal attempts, the first time an opponent missed 10 or more to start a game since Charleston went 0 for 11 on 11/25/20.
- Carolina led 62-24 at the half. It was UNC’s largest lead in any game since a 65-18 lead (47-point margin) over Florida Atlantic in the Smith Center on 12/19/2006.
- It was UNC’s largest halftime lead in the Smith Center in 295 ACC games. Previous high was 33 over NC State in 2017.
- It tied the third-largest halftime lead in the Smith Center in any game.
- First-half points per possession: UNC 1.55 (62 points on 40 possessions); FSU .62 (24 points on 39 possessions)
- Carolina shot 55.2% from the floor for the game. UNC is 9-0 this season when shooting 50% from the floor.
- Carolina has shot 50% from the floor in consecutive games and three of the last five games.
- Caleb Love made a career-high six threes, which equals the season high by a Tar Heel this season (Davis vs. Brown, Manek vs. Duke and Tennessee).
- Love handed out a season-high six assists.
- RJ Davis scored 16 points, his eighth consecutive game in double figures.
- Leaky Black had five assists, the third time this season and 13th career game he had five or more (UNC 11-2 in those games).
- This was the first time this season UNC had three players with five or more assists (Love 6, Davis and Black 5).
- Bacot had 14 rebounds, the 20th game this season with double-digit rebounds. There have only been six seasons when a Tar Heel had more. It the seventh time this year and 11th career game he had 14 or more rebounds.
- Brady Manek passed the 1,800-point mark with 16 today. He has 1,803 in 123 college games.
- Kerwin Walton scored nine points, most since he had 14 at Charleston in November. Walton has scored 16 in the last two games.
- Freshman Dontrez Styles scored a season-high eight points and four rebounds.
Series Notes
- Carolina leads the series, 52-16. That includes a 42-15 advantage since the Seminoles joined the ACC in 1991-92.
- Carolina has won seven straight vs. the Seminoles in the Smith Center. FSU’s most recent win in Chapel Hill came in 2010.
- UNC is 20-4 in the Smith Center vs. FSU.
