In a little over two weeks, the UNC Tar Heels went from being the number one ranked team in the nation, to falling out of the top 25 completely – making them the the earliest a preseason number one fell out of the rankings in the AP Top 25 era. Saturday, the Heels ended their four-game skid and got their first conference win – defeating the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets 75-59.
After being out-rebounded in their last three games, the Tar Heels returned to their usual board-dominating fashion, grabbing 43 rebounds to the Yellow Jackets’ 22. UNC also shared the ball better, more than doubling their assists number from last week’s loss to Virginia Tech.
RJ Davis led all scorers with 22 points on 8-13 shooting from the floor. Armando Bacot was right behind him with 21 points. Both had double digit rebounds with Bacot grabbing 13 and Davis pulling in 10.
“We are looking to build off this win,” Davis said. “We have the crowd and the energy on our side now so now it is about not getting complacent, remaining positive, moving forward, and building off this win.”
“Our main motto is to stay together and not worry about what is being said about us,” RJ continued. “There is always going to be something said about us, win or lose. Our motto is to stay together and try not to worry about what is said about us negatively or positively.”
There really aren’t “must win” games in December, but the Heels needed this dub – badly – to help ease the pressure that comes with losing and seemingly aid them with getting back on track. North Carolina will be back in the Dean Dome on Tuesday to take on the Citadel before playing two tough neutral site games against Ohio State and Michigan.
Postgame Notes:
- Carolina snapped a four-game losing streak and improves to 6-0 at home.
- This was the fifth time this century two Tar Heels had 20 points and 10 rebounds in the same game. The others were Luke Maye and Theo Pinson vs. NC State in 2017-18, Harrison Barnes and John Henson vs. LIU in the 2011 NCAA Tournament, Sean May and Marvin Williams vs. Iowa State in the 2005 NCAA Tournament and Joseph Forte and Brendan Haywood at Virginia in 1990-2000.
- Tar Heels had 15 assists on 27 field goals, their highest A/FGM percentage of the season (.556). Previous high was .548 with 17 assists on 31 field goals vs. Portland.
- UNC out-rebounded the Yellow Jackets 43-22. The margin of plus-21 is UNC’s highest of the season (previous plus-16 vs. JMU and Portland).
- UNC held Georgia Tech to one offensive rebound and no second-chance points. Tech entered the game averaging 13.1 offensive rebounds.
- It was the first time UNC did not allow a second-chance point since Furman last season on 12/14/2021.
- Tech’s one offensive rebound was the fewest since Notre Dame had one on 1/5/22.
- Carolina scored 17 fastbreak points, which equals the number it combined to score in the last two games at Indiana and Virginia Tech.
- Carolina shot 50% from the floor in the second half, the second game in a row and fifth in 10 games it shot 50% in the second half.
- Armando Bacot had 21 points and 13 rebounds. It was his 61st career game with 10 or more rebounds, tying Billy Cunningham for the most double-figure rebound games in UNC history.
- Bacot passed George Lynch for third place in UNC history in career rebounds and became the third Tar Heel with at least 1,100 career rebounds.
- Bacot has 1,103 career rebounds. Tyler Hansbrough holds the record with 1,219 and Sam Perkins is second with 1,168.
- It was Bacot’s 54th career double-double, six from tying Cunningham for the UNC record.
- It was Bacot’s 15th career game with at least 20 points and 10 boards (second this season).
- RJ Davis led all scorers with 22 points (fifth time he led UNC this season and 12th time career) and added 11 rebounds for his third career double-double (second this season).
- Caleb Love had a game-high five assists (second time this season with five, also vs. Charleston).
- Carolina ended the first half on an 11-0 run during which it held the Yellow Jackets to 0-4 FG and two turnovers, while UNC was 3 for 4 from the floor, including a Pete Nance three, and 4 for 4 from the line.
- Carolina’s 39-26 lead at the half was the largest scoring margin for the Tar Heels in a half since November 20 when UNC out-scored JMU, 45-26, in the first half.
- The Tar Heels scored 13 fastbreak points in the first half after scoring 17 total in the previous two games at Indiana and Virginia Tech combined.
- Seth Trimble had three assists in the first half. He had two in the first nine games.
- Freshman forward Jalen Washington played the final 2+ minutes and scored two points in his first appearance as a Tar Heel after missing the first nine games of this season. He did not play high school basketball in 2021-22 due to a knee injury he originally suffered as a sophomore.
- Carolina held Tech to 59 points, fewest by an opponent since the season opener when UNCW scored 56.