Off the cuff: Not sure I've seen a game where a team shot so well against the Tar Heels but lost - and lost pretty handily. Tennessee shot nearly 58 percent in the second half and finished at higher than 55 percent for the game. Meanwhile, Carolina hit about 46 percent for the game. The Tar Heels got to the line a lot, hitting 32 of 38 including all 16 of their free throw shots in the first half. The Volunteers were 13 of 16 for the entire game. Carolina led start to finish. Harrison Ingram hit a three to start the game and the Heels never trailed or were tied. It did get a little hairy in the second half as Tennessee outscored Carolina 53-39 but the Tar Heels had built an insurmountable lead in the impressive first half. "Everybody was dialed in," UNC's RJ Davis said. "Tennessee is a great team that plays hard. Beating a top-ranked team at home in front of the crowd going crazy was great. A lot of guys stepped up." What has become the big three - Davis, Bacot and Ingram - each scored more than 20 points each. Cormac Ryan, who sat out the last game with an injured ankle, came through with 15 points and Elliott Cadeau finished with 10 assists and no turnovers. One player who had a rough night was starter Jae'lyn Withers who won't be a starter for long with efforts like he had against the Vols. In less than 12 minutes of playing time, he turned the ball over three times and failed to score. During the times he was in the game, the Heels were outscored by six points. I wouldn't be surprised if Carolina went with a three-guard starting team against Florida State with Ryan, Davis and Cadeau joining Ingram and Bacot as starters. |
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