The North Carolina team, even with a sixth-year player, looks much different than a year ago and any year but the result of the first game was the same. For the 19th year in a row, the Tar Heels won their season opener - this time against a gritty Radford team, 86-70. (11/6)

Eleven players saw action, with four scoring in double figures led by mainstay Armando Bacot scoring 25 points and hauling in 13 rebounds.

The depth seemed to wear down the Highlanders, who shot 50 percent in the first half and led three on several occasions before trailing 46-41 at the half.

"I felt like we started to wear them down in the second half as we kept bringing in fresh guys," Coach Hubert Davis said, adding that he used multiple lineups with everyone who played contributing. "The depth and versatility of this group is to our advantage. I'm happy with the production off the bench."

That's a change from last year when Coach Davis stuck to core players much of the year, which is likely one reason so many players transferred after the 2022-2023 season when the Heels went 20-13 but failed to make the NCAA Tournament after being a preseason favorite.

"We have so many talented guys this year," Bacot said after the game. "We need a lot of guys to step up for us."

Two new starters who stepped up included Cormac Ryan, the Notre Dame transfer, who scored 13 and Harrison Ingram, the Stanford transfer, who scored 12. Veteran R.J. Davis added 12.

Radford went toe to toe with the Heels in the first half, up 41-38 late in the first half. But Carolina reeled off eight straight points in the last minute and a half. Ryan sank four free throws and picked up a steal and assist to Ingram during the stretch. Davis scored on a driving layup to put the Heels up 46-41.

The biggest lead in the first half was eight points at 20-12 following a Ryan three from the right side while the biggest lead of the game was 17 points at 85-68 late in the game when freshman Elliott Cadeau drove the lane for a left-handed layup.

The Tar Heels shot 52.5 percent from the field for the game, compared to 42.4 percent for the Highlanders as Carolina locked down defensively in the second half.

Radford, 0-1, was led by Kenyon Giles and DaQuan Smith who each scored 18 points.

The Tar Heels, 1-0, host Lehigh on Sunday at 2 p.m.

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