RJ Davis scoring, Drake Powell fast start, defense lead UNC basketball in win vs SMU

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For the first time this season against a high-major opponent, UNC basketball had a comfortable win.

The Tar Heels earned a wire-to-wire victory against SMU, winning 82-67 at the Smith Center for their 10th win of the season. UNC (10-6, 3-1 ACC) led by as many as 25 points late in the second half before the Mustangs (11-4, 2-2) tightened things up in the final two minutes.

Fifth-year guard RJ Davis led the Tar Heels in scoring with 26 points, followed by freshmen Ian Jackson (18 points) and Drake Powell (17 points).

Here are some observations from UNC’s win vs. SMU.

Seth Trimble, UNC defense vs Booper Miller, SMU

Seth Trimble returned after missing three games with an injury and UNC’s defense had arguably its best performance of the season. The Mustangs had their worst-shooting night through 15 games, making just 33% of its shots, including 4 of 18 3-pointers (22%). The Tar Heels jumped out to a 39-24 lead in the first half and never looked back.

Wake Forest transfer Boopie Miller, who averaged 21 points and 6.3 assists in the three games before playing at UNC, had nine points on 3-of-15 shooting against the Tar Heels. If UNC can maintain that defensive effort the rest of the season, it’ll be in good position for the NCAA tournament.

RJ Davis has efficient scoring, shooting game vs SMU

After shooting 31% in UNC’s previous two ACC games, RJ Davis had an efficient night against the Mustangs with 26 points on 8-of-15 shooting (53.3%). Davis made 3 of 6 shots from 3-point range, knocking down 50% of his treys for just the second time this season. But he’s done it in two of the past four games, which could be a positive sign for Davis and the Heels moving forward. The veteran guard also had five rebounds, four assists and two steals.

Drake Powell, Ian Jackson take turns for Tar Heels

Drake Powell dominated the first half, Ian Jackson got going in the second half. Powell scored 14 of his 17 points in the first half, including three 3-pointers, and matched his season-high with…

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Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/rj-davis-scoring-drake-powell-090507847.html

Author : The Fayetteville Observer

Publish date : 2025-01-08 09:05:00

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