CHAPEL HILL, N.C. –– The difference between two halves in college basketball can be stark and UNC’s 79-70 win over NC State proved such.
In the first half, N.C. State—led by Jayden Taylor and DJ Horne—thoroughly handled the Tar Heels – shooting 57.6 percent from the field compared to the Heel’s 54.2 percent. The pair had 16 and 12 points respectively in the first half, while Harrison Ingram shot a perfect game totaling 13 points as the only double-digit contributor going into halftime.
According to Ingram, there was a lot of yelling going on in the locker room, with everyone distraught at how badly the Tar Heels were playing defense.
“I couldn’t really tell you what he was saying, I know he was yelling a lot,” Ingram said. “But that’s all we needed to hear, he was roasting everybody, but we ramped up the defensive emphasis on the guards and let Mondo get one-on-one with the bigs. Everyone had their man and was pressuring more on the perimeter and it worked.”
Taylor hit four threes and the rest of the team consistently got open looks to pull away from North Carolina, climbing to an 8-point lead at the half.
But those 15 minutes in the locker room was ample time for North Carolina to correct their ways and flip the switch on both sides of the ball.
Sparked by a Cormac Ryan three-pointer, they held the Wolfpack to just 22.2 percent from the field in the second half, the lowest they’ve held an opponent to in a half all season.
While it was a chippy game, as most rivalries are, UNC was ready to combat the intensity the Wolfpack dished out and effectively gained the upper hand to sweep the regular-season series.
Ingram led the scoring drive for the first time since the Northern Iowa game on Nov. 22, supplying 22 points. His performance was supplemented by freshman guard Elliot Cadeau’s 15 points.
Cadeau says that when he and the guys get going, they can be the best team in the country.
“My role is to facilitate the offense and shoot the ball when I’m open,” Cadeau said. “When I’m knocking down shots, RJ, Cormac, Harrison, nobody can stop us.
Veterans Armando Bacot and RJ Davis delivered 14 and 13 points, respectively, as the two will now head into what has the potential to be their final game together at the Dean Dome.
The Tar Heels will complete their three-game homestand, hosting Notre Dame Tuesday night at 7 p.m. The two programs haven’t crossed paths yet this season, but UNC hasn’t dropped a game at home to thenFighting Irish since 2015.
The Irish are 11-17 overall and are among the bottom dwellers of the ACC with a 6-11 record. It should be an easier win for the Tar Heels before they face tougher competition at No.10-ranked Duke next Saturday at 6 p.m to close out the season.