Finally, after multiple swings and misses, the Tar Heels finally earned a win over a power conference opponent, after beating the UCLA Bruins earlier today in the CBS Sports Classic, 76-74. But it wouldn’t be a win in 2024, without needing a dramatic comeback, and that’s what Carolina did today, after erasing a 16-point deficit. With less than 13 minutes left in the second half, Carolina trailed 59-43, but that was when the game would turn, as Carolina would outscore UCLA 33-15 the rest of the way to earn the victory. The Bruins were held to one field goal in the last 8:57 of the game, including just one made basket in the final 3:42, as Carolina’s defense fueled the comeback.
At the center of the comeback, were two local New York natives in RJ Davis, and Ian Jackson, who combined to score 41 points for the Tar Heels today. Ian Jackson built off his brilliant performance against Florida from earlier in the week, scoring 24 points, on 8-13 shooting, including going 3-7 from behind the arc. RJ Davis added 17, on 5-12 shooting, and after missing a free throw that would’ve tied the game at 74, made two foul shots, to give UNC a 75-74 lead, on their way to victory. This is the third straight season that Carolina has competed at Madison Square Garden, and every time it has brought out the best in Davis’s game, something that MSG has done to every basketball player over the years.
The execution wasn’t as pretty as it could’ve been down the stretch, but it was good enough to get the job done. After RJ missed a chance to tie the game at 74, Carolina lined up to full-court press, down 74-73. On the ensuing inbound, they forced a UCLA turnover, giving them the ball back, with less than 20 seconds left to play. Davis would draw a foul and gave UNC the lead at the foul line before one final defense stop sealed the much-needed victory. After blowing late leads against Kansas, Michigan State, and Florida, this time Carolina overcame a late-game deficit to earn the win.
Who knows what this will do for Carolina, but there’s no denying that if the season becomes one to remember, this will be the game that we point to. After many close calls against quality competition, this team finally broke through and earned a win, that should make that locker room as confident as its been at any point this season, and in the process, will serve as the best Christmas gifts, for the players, the coaches, and the fans.
New York Tough: There has always been a moniker that guards from New York are tough, and that is certainly the case when talking about RJ Davis, and Ian Jackson, two guys who were back playing close to home. Ian Jackson was the offensive spark plug in both halves for UNC, as he made all three of his triples in the opening half, keeping UNC close. In the second half, Jackson was a walking bucket in isolation situations, creating like a guard does in the NBA. As for RJ, it wasn’t the smoothest shooting game, (he was 5-12), and he even missed another big foul shot, but when his team needed him, he was there. They may have found something, using Jackson and Davis in a two-man game, like they did with Caleb Love, and RJ back during the run to the 2022 national title game.
Hello 4-Guard Lineup: Carolina is still searching to find its best 5, but they know who its best 4 happens to be. Coming out of halftime, Hubert Davis started four guards, Elliot Cadeau, RJ Davis, Seth Trimble, and Ian Jackson, and that lineup played the majority of the second half, and sparked the comeback. That lineup is obviously the best offensive lineup, but they also scraped and clawed defensively as well, being able to put relentless pressure on the basketball. It isn’t a perfect way to play, but with this roster’s limitations, it is the best way to play. It’ll be up to Hubert Davis and his staff to find a way to get the most out of that lineup moving forward.
Rebounding: Carolina won the rebounding margin, 34-28 today, and the 28 rebounds are the second-fewest UNC has allowed in a game so far this season. Carolina did a much better job keeping UCLA off the offensive glass, limiting the second-chance scoring opportunities.
Turnovers: A big reason why Carolina trailed by double-digits again in the first half was the turnovers, as they committed 11 of them, on their way to 18 for the game. UCLA scored 24 points off those turnovers, fueling their strong offensive start. Elliot Cadeau turned it over 5 times today, making it the fourth time in his last five games, he committed at least four turnovers. That needs to be cleaned up after the holiday break and before the start of conference play.
Up Next: Carolina doesn’t play again until the Sunday after Christmas when they’ll host Campbell in the non-conference finale at 8 PM in the Smith Center.
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