For the fourth straight game, Carolina has emerged victorious, but tonight’s win was the most impressive and serves as validation for a team that has found some late-season magic, and is making a run at the NCAA Tournament, as Carolina took down Florida State 96-85 on the road. In Carolina’s previous three wins, all came against a team at, or below .500, making people hesitant to buy in on what the team was doing on the court, leading all three games wire to wire. Even though Florida State entered just 16-11, and 7-9, they are by far the best team they’ve played during the winning streak, and the fact they controlled the majority of this game, speaks volumes to the team Carolina is becoming down the stretch of ACC play. The point total would suggest it was a fun night of offense, and it was, as UNC shot 55% from the field, and they stayed hot from the outside, going 10-26 (38%). Six different Tar Heels’ reached double figures scoring, led by RJ Davis, who scored 20 points, on an efficient 5-9 shooting, as he was 3-5 from behind the arc and 7-8 from the foul line. Other Tar Heels’ to score in double figures include Seth Trimble (17), Jae’Lyn Withers (11), Elliot Cadeau (10), Jalen Washington (10), and Ven-Allen Lubin (10).
Oddly enough, Florida State was just as efficient from the field, as they shot 54% from the field, and 50% from behind the arc, but it wasn’t enough to pull off a win in what might be Leonard Hamilton’s final game against Carolina. The difference? Rebounding. Carolina won the battle of the boards, 35-21, and that was after allowing just 6 rebounds total in the first half. What makes tonight even more impressive is that FSU is the second tallest team in the country, only trailing Duke, a team that overwhelmed Carolina with their size just earlier this month. UNC pounded the offensive glass, grabbing 13 offensive rebounds, and converting them into 24 second-chance points. Vintage Carolina Basketball at its best.
Carolina was trailing 30-26 at the midway point in the first half, and they were having a hard time containing the dribble drive, resulting in a lot of easy points at the rim for the Seminoles. That’s when Hubert Davis switched to a 2-3 zone, and it allowed Carolina to get enough stops, to build a 49-43 halftime advantage, that they would never give up in the second half. It was the first time UNC had played extensive zone defense since the Duke game, whereafter, Hubert Davis vowed to utilize it more often. It may have taken almost a month for it to resurface, but credit him for going to it, and credit the players for executing it good enough to help propel them to a win on the road.
With tonight’s win, Carolina improves to 18-11 on the season, and is 11-6 in the ACC, as Hubert Davis stays undefeated against Florida State. The win keeps Carolina’s hopes to make the NCAA Tournament alive with a win over Duke in the regular season finale, and it ties for the longest winning streak of the season, but unlike when Carolina won four straight in January, it is evident this is an improving team, that is as confident as they’ve been all season long.
RJ Davis: After back-to-back rough shooting games in wins over NC State and Virginia, the super senior broke out in a major way tonight, scoring 20 points, on 5-9 shooting, and was 3-5 from deep, while going 7-8 from the foul line. In the process, he moved into third on the ACC’s all-time scoring list, passing Wake Forest legend Dickie Hemric. In addition to leading the team in scoring, he handed out 5 assists against 0 turnovers, proving he’s capable of being both a scorer and a distributor. Davis hadn’t enjoyed the type of season he envisioned when he decided to return for a fifth year, but he’s playing his best basketball at the most important time and is at the forefront of Carolina’s late-season turnaround.
Balanced Offense: For the first time since the loss at Kansas all the way back in November, Carolina had six players score in double-figures, helping them score 96 points, on 55% shooting from the field, and 38% from behind the arc. In the first half, nine different UNC players registered a point, and seven of them scored multiple field goals. Anthem during Carolina’s recent winning streak has been having everybody impact the game in a positive way, and that was definitely the case tonight.
Rebounding Dominance: For the third time ever in ACC play, Carolina has outrebounded its opponent by at least 14 in three straight games, after they won the rebounding margin 35-21 tonight. Lubin led Carolina with 7 boards, setting the tone for UNC, who allowed just 6 rebounds total in the first half. Despite FSU being the second tallest team in the country, it was Carolina who hit the offensive glass, grabbing 13 offensive rebounds, and scoring 24 second-chance points off of them. Ever since Hubert Davis inserted Jae’Lyn Withers and Drake Powell into the starting lineup, Carolina has had the look of a typical UNC team on the glass, overwhelming opponents on the glass from start to finish.
2-3 Zone Works Out: After struggling to contain the dribble-drive, Hubert Davis switched to a 2-3 zone in the first half, which would fuel Carolina’s run to lead at the half, and never look back. Davis would play well in the second half, with Carolina having to protect the lead that they built. Davis said that he’d use the zone more often after getting blown out at Duke back earlier this month, but tonight was the first time they’ve played it extensively, and they saw what they are capable of executing if they have to go back to that type of defense again later this season.
Fouling: Carolina overcame a plethora of foul calls in the second half, after putting FSU in the double bonus before the under-12 timeout in the second half. This forced Hubert Davis to use some different lineups to save fouls, and you have to give credit to Cade Tyson, who continued his impressive play as of late, impacting the game on the glass, while not making a perimeter shot. At one point, Carolina had Tyson at the “4”, and Withers at the “5”, while both Lubin and Washington both had 4 fouls in the second half. The depth that Carolina all of a sudden has, allowed them to withstand such a foul barrage, because it’s uncertain if UNC could’ve won a game like this just a month ago, at home, or on the road.
Up Next: Carolina is off until Saturday when they host Miami in the penultimate home game of the 2024-2025 season. Tip is scheduled for 12 PM, on ESPN or ESPN2.
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