It wasn’t always pretty, particularly in the first half, but the Tar Heels found a way to get back on the winning track. The 80-73 win over the Demon Deacons gives the Tar Heels their fourth ACC win and marks the Tar Heels seventh ACC game decided by seven points or less.
Although it was close, the first half was not a good display of basketball. It was marked by turnovers, missed shots, and little offensive rhythm from either team. The Demon Deacons held a 33-31 lead at half.
Carolina was much better in the second half. They found an offensive rhythm, turned turnovers into points, and scored 49 points. The Tar Heels built an early 10-point second half lead, but Isaiah Mucius caught fire from three. Mucius single handedly erased the Tar Heel lead and the teams battled back and forth. Carolina made seven of its final 10 field goal attempts and ultimately sealed the win with eight late game points from the freshmen duo of RJ Davis and Caleb Love. Love had two thunderous dunks that served as the exclamation point!
Tar Heel Takeaways:
*Caleb Love had his best game of the season, far and away. He was efficient, scoring 20 points on 7/12 shooting and only turned the ball over three times.
*Many hoped and expected Anthony Harris to play more minutes and have an increased role in the outcome of the game. Harris played six minutes and had a limited stat line. I wouldn’t read too far into it. I still believe Harris will be a positive contributor for this team.
*The Tar Heels used their full court pressure to create turnovers and instant offense. Carolina scored 24 points off 20 Wake Forest turnovers.
Leading scorers-Love-20, Bacot-18, Davis-13
Leading rebounders-Brooks-7, Sharpe-6, Bacot-6
The win takes the Tar Heels to 4-3 in ACC and 9-5 overall.
Next up for the Tar Heels-Saturday, January 23rd vs NC State. The game is scheduled for 2:00 pm eastern time.