That win over SMU was probably the most fun game to watch this year... if for no other reason the Tar Heels had their way early, shot the ball well and played a stifling defense.
Eliot Cadeau, who scored the final six points against Notre Dame, scored the first five points of the game before picking up two fouls in the first four minutes of the game.
Ian Jackson has been the most notable freshman for Carolina but it was Drake Powell who set the tone in the first half as Carolina took control of the game. He scored 15 of his 17 points including 12 on three-point shots and the other three on a traditional three-point play.
Carolina essentially put SMU away during a four-minute span of the second half when the Heels went from 11 points ahead to 25 points up.
Just as the 12-0 second-half run Notre Dame accomplished concerned Tar Heels fans, the 14-3 second-half run by SMU should give the Heels something to work on.
It was good to see Seth Trimble back after missing three games with an undisclosed upper body injury. He didn't start however and he missed all three of his shots and his lone free throw attempt.
It's a bit sad to see Cade Tyson get no playing time at all. He was on the court two hours before game time working on his three-point shot along with Powell. There were hopes he could be this year's Brady Manek or Cormac Ryan. He has had a couple of spurts this year but hasn't made any lasting impact and seems to have entered Coach Davis's doghouse.
Nine Tar Heels played with James Brown getting the fewest minutes at 2:21. Powell saw the most court time at 35:11.
There were quite a few empty seats for the mid-week 9 pm start and, with a lot of fouls called, the game went well past 11 pm as many left early.
Unfortunately for them, perhaps the most fantastic, improbable play occurred with just over two minutes to play. With the shot clock running down, Davis, covered by two Mustangs, threw up a falling-back shot that banked in. It was so close to the end of the shot clock that officials had to review it. It doesn't pay to leave early. And apparently, it doesn't pay to count the Tar Heels out this season.
Carolina should be favored in it's next three games against NC State, Cal and Stanford. At the risk of looking ahead, should they win those games, the Heels would sit at 13-6 overall and 6-1 in the ACC. That looks more like a Carolina season.
Carolina 82, SMU 67 Heels never trail in impressive victory
(Photo by UNC Sports Information) North Carolina played perhaps its most complete game of the season in an 82-67 home victory over a good SMU team. (1/8)
With the score tied at 6-all, Carolina went on a 14-4 run highlighted by two three pointers by freshman Drake Powell and a three by fifth-year senior RJ Davis, who broke out of a shooting slump. Powell had four of UNC's 11 threes while Davis and Ian Jackson each added three.
Meanwhile, the Carolina defense held SMU to a season-low 33 percent shooting from the floor, including just four of 18 from beyond the arc.
"I thought we were sound for the first 30 minutes on both ends of the floor," UNC coach Hubert Davis. "From the offensive standpoint, we were getting exactly what we wanted in the halfcourt set, in transition and getting to the free throw line... Defensively, SMU's got a really good team and they can score. We did a really good job doubling the post, creating turnovers and staying with their shooters."
Carolina led by as many as 17 points in the first half when Jackson hit a three from the left wing with 1:29 left before settling for a 15-point margin at the half, 39-24.
The Tar Heels continued the onslaught working the margin up to 25 points on an old-fashioned three-point play by Jae'lyn Withers who scored cutting across the lane and was fouled.
Up 63-38, the Tar Heels got sloppy, turning the ball over four times in less than four minutes and going six minutes without a basket. The Mustangs' 14-3 run cut the lead to 66-52 before Powell ended the run with a three and the SMU coach Andy Enfield , who had been warned for arguing calls, promptly picked up a technical.
As a result, Davis hit two free throws to put the Heels back up by 19 and thwart any further SMU comeback.
"We went back to fouling again," Coach Hubert Davis said explaining the lead dwindling in the last 10 minutes. Cadeau, who got in foul trouble early, finished with four fouls as did Davis while fellow starters Powell and Jalen Washington had three fouls each.
Chuck Harris, off the bench, led the Mustangs with 18 points as SMU falls to 11-4 overall and 2-2 in the ACC.
Carolina placed three in double figures with Davis leading the way with 26 points while Jackson finished with 18 and Powell adding 17, 15 of which came in the first half.
The Tar Heels, who travel to NC State Saturday afternoon at 4 p.m., improve to 10-6 overall and 3-1 in the conference.
