By R.L. Bynum
CHAPEL HILL — Fans who screamed, smiled and enjoyed the show, particularly before halftime, were left to wonder what the ceiling is for Coach Hubert Davis’ fourth Carolina team.
It could be much higher than the roof if the Tar Heels can avoid rough stretches like the one they endured late in the second half.
The No. 17 Tar Heels looked much better than their rank, with tough defense on one end and crisp offense on the other, as they led by as many as 24 points and held on for a 100–92 victory Tuesday over No. 10 Tennessee in the inaugural ACC/SEC Men’s Challenge.
“One of the better halves since I’ve been here, and I’ve been here 12 years,” Coach Davis said. “Pretty special.”
Carolina didn’t score a field goal in the last 6:56, and the Vols came within six points with 1:39 left but could come no closer.
“I feel like we took a step forward in terms of our improvement and becoming the team that we want to become,” Coach Davis said. “I told them after the game that I was also very encouraged because there’s a training tape there of things we cannot do, and we can get better at, particularly in the second half.”
The Vols (4–3) came into the game with the best defensive efficiency rating in the country, according to KenPom.com. According to the Tar Heels (6–1), the Vols haven’t seen an offense like this. Carolina consistently got good shots quickly with excellent ball movement and constantly had the Vols on their heels on the defensive end.
Harrison Ingram says UNC’s ceiling is a national championship.
“We think we’re the best team in the country when everyone is clicking,” said Ingram, who was splendidly versatile again, scoring 20 points with a career-high four 3-pointers and three steals. “We’ve still got some chemistry issues, some little kinks, kind of figuring out where everybody else is on the floor. But this is a good team that we just beat.”
This is a Tennessee team that only lost to No. 1 Purdue by four and No. 5 Kansas (No. 1 at the time) by nine. Dalton Knecht, who rolled his ankle in the final minutes, tied the Smith Center record for an opponent with 37 points (equalling the total of LaSalle’s Lionel Simmons on Jan. 9, 1988). Josiah-Jordan James added 20, but they weren’t enough.
RJ Davis continued to flourish playing more off the ball, leading the way with 27 points and five 3-pointers. Armando Bacot declared that the Tar Heels “put the world on notice” with their performance. They both said they pointed to this game after enduring an 89–72 loss on Nov. 21, 2021, in Uncasville, Conn., to the Vols.
“It felt like they bullied us for real, and we didn’t like the feeling of that,” Bacot said. “So, just going out there and doing what we did today was huge for us.”
Bacot was back to his usual productive scoring self. He collected 22 points (the 30th career game with at least 20), 11 rebounds (for his 71st career double-double) and three assists while making 10 of 13 free-throw attempts.
“I wanted to make my presence known; that was my main thing,” Bacot said. “I know when I can do that, it’ll affect everything.”
Bacot said he didn’t sleep well after his performances in the Battle 4 Atlantis and was eager to rebound against the Vols.
“It was tough, just how everything went,” Bacot. “I’m just glad to go out and perform. I knew once I came back to my kingdom, I’d be good.”
Cormac Ryan was back after missing one game after spraining an ankle and not practicing Monday or Tuesday, firing in 15 points and two 3-pointers before fouling out.
“A lot of people are not knowing what to expect from us, just in terms of it’s a new team, new faces,” RJ Davis said. “They may not have seen this type of team. And I think we really just exploit the way we play as a team, as a unit. It’s great. That’s what Carolina basketball is all about. We were able to get out in transition. Our first half was great. Got a little sloppy in the second half in terms of turnovers. But the way we finished strong, I think that’s a big huge statement.”
The offense’s engine, though, was freshman point guard Elliot Cadeau. In his second consecutive start, he showed off his dazzling passing skills with a season-high 10 assists and no turnovers while blocking a team-leading two blocks.
A snapshot of his impact on Carolina’s offense came in the opening minutes before the initial television time out of the second half. He assisted on 3s from Ingram and Ryan, drew a foul on a drive, missed a shot on a drive that Jalen Washington followed with a dunk and drew another foul on a drive.
He’s the first freshman with double-digit assists in a game since Kendall Marshall in the 2010–11 season and one of six Tar Heels (RJ Davis, Joel Berry, J.P. Tokoto, Theo Pinson and Marcus Paige are the others) to do it in the last 10 years.
Carolina scored 21 points off 12 turnovers and kept befuddling the Vols until late in the game.
Ingram scored eight of UNC’s first 10 points, including two 3-pointers, and the Tar Heels took a 13–5 lead on an RJ Davis 3-pointer.
“I was into the game; I was so happy,” Ingram said of his two early 3-pointers. “Mondo found me with one and I think RJ or Cormac found me. But just trusting my work. I shoot those shots a thousand times a day. Just shoot it, follow through and hope it goes in.”
An 11–0 run punctuated by 3-pointers from Ryan and Jalen Washington pushed the lead to 14 points as the Tar Heels scored on eight consecutive possessions.
Cadeau made an insane pass to Bacot for a layup during a 16–4 run, ballooning the lead to 23 with 7:22 left in the first half. Bacot (1,926 points) converted the 3-point play to pass Brad Daugherty (1,912 points from 1982 to 1986) for ninth on the UNC career scoring list.
By halftime, UNC led 61–39 and scored seven 3-pointers, more than in 14 games last season.
Tennessee pulled within seven with 7:26 left when James’ 3-pointer capped a 20–6 run. Carolina responded with an 8–0 run to shove the lead back to 15 on two Ingram free throws with 5:21 left.
Tennessee cut it to six with a 9–0 run with 1:39 left. After pairs of free throws from Cadeau and Davis, Zakai Zeigler’s 3 cut it to seven with 51 seconds left, but the Vols got no closer as UNC made four more free throws.
NOTES — Carolina opens ACC play at 2 p.m. Saturday (ACC Network) at home against Florida State. The Seminoles (4–2) lost 68–66 Wednesday at home in an ACC/SEC Men’s Challenge against Georgia. … Both the ACC and SEC won seven games in the Challenge. … UNC doesn’t return home again for a month, playing host to Charleston Southern at 8 p.m. on Friday, Dec. 29. … Carolina scored 100 points against an AP Top 10 opponent for the 12th time and first time since defeating Virginia Tech 103–82, on Jan. 21, 2019. Carolina is 11-1 in those 12 games. … Knecht’s 37 are the most by an opponent since Malik Monk scored 47 against UNC in Las Vegas on Dec. 17, 2016. … UNC scored 61 points in the first half, the first time it scored more than 60 in a first half since scoring 62 against Florida State on Feb. 12, 2022. … Carolina made its first 16 free-throw attempts, not missing until Cadeau missed two tries at the line with 15:42 left in the game. … Tennessee was the first of four consecutive non-conference opponents currently ranked. UNC faces No. 4 UConn (6–0) in New York on Dec. 5, No. 12 Kentucky (5–1) in Atlanta on Dec. 16 and No. 25 Oklahoma (6–0) in Charlotte on Dec. 20. … Freshman center Zayden High entered the game at the 12:47 mark of the first half after not playing against Arkansas. … Red Panda began a two-day run in Chapel Hill as she performed at halftime, and will also perform at halftime of Thursday’s women’s basketball game between No. 24 Carolina and No. 1 South Carolina at Carmichael Arena. … UNC leads the series with Tennessee 11–2 and avenged the 2021 loss. The Vols’ only other win was an 84–56 triumph in 1949. … Tennessee is 115–101 all-time against ACC schools. Tennessee is 115–101 all-time against ACC schools. Tennessee coach Rick Barnes’ three-game win streak vs. ACC teams ended after neutral-site victories against Syracuse, Duke and UNC. … Barnes is 1–7 coaching at the Smith Center, with the only win while at Texas.
No. 17 UNC 100, No. 10 Tennessee 92
UNC lineup combinations
| Score | Time | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | Segment score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Starters | 20:00 | Cadeau | Davis | Ingram | Withers | Bacot | 13–10 |
| 13–10 | 14:54 | Ryan | Ingram | 6–2 | |||
| 19–12 | 12:47 | Davis | Trimble | High | Washington | 10–4 | |
| 29–16 | 10:37 | Ingram | 4–3 | ||||
| 33–19 | 9:26 | Cadeau | Bacot | 4–2 | |||
| 37–21 | 8:33 | Wojcik | 5–2 | ||||
| 43–23 | 7:32 | Davis | 3–4 | ||||
| 46–27 | 6:19 | Ryan | 4–2 | ||||
| 50–29 | 4:54 | Davis | Trimble | 2–0 | |||
| 52–29 | 4:51 | Withers | 0–4 | ||||
| 52–33 | 3:56 | Cadeau | Davis | Bacot | 5–4 | ||
| 57–37 | 2:14 | Davis | Ryan | Ingram | Withers | 2–2 | |
| 59–39 | 0:17 | Cadeau | Davis | Ryan | Ingram | 6–5 | |
| 65–44 | 18:18 (2nd) | Washington | 11–8 | ||||
| 76–52 | 15:12 | Davis | Trimble | 2–5 | |||
| 78–57 | 13:30 | Bacot | 0–5 | ||||
| 78–62 | 12:39 | Cadeau | Davis | 0–1 | |||
| 78–63 | 12:25 | Wojcik | 3–2 | ||||
| 81–65 | 11:23 | Ingram | Withers | 3–9 | |||
| 84–74 | 7:42 | Ryan | Ingram | 9–0 | |||
| 92–74 | 3:58 | Trimble | 8–18 | ||||
| 100–92 | Final |
ACC/SEC Men’s Challenge
Challenge finished tied at 7
Tuesday’s results
Georgia Tech 67, No. 21 Mississippi State 59
South Carolina 65, Notre Dame 53
Syracuse 80, LSU 57
Missouri 71, Pittsburgh 64
No. 12 Kentucky 95, No. 8 Miami 73
Ole Miss 72, N.C. State 52
Clemson 85, No. 23 Alabama 77
Wednesday’s results
No. 17 North Carolina 100, No. 10 Tennessee 92
Virginia 59, No. 14 Texas A&M 47
Wake Forest 82, Florida 71
Boston College 82, Vanderbilt 62
Auburn 74, Virginia Tech 57
Georgia 68, Florida State 66
Arkansas 70, No. 7 Duke 75
UNC season statistics
| Date | Month/day | Score | Opponent/event (current ranks) | Record |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| October | ||||
| 27 | Friday | W, 117–53 | vs. St. Augustine’s | Exhibition |
| November | ||||
| 6 | Monday | W, 86–70 | vs. Radford | 1–0 |
| 12 | Sunday | W, 90–68 | vs. Lehigh | 2–0 |
| 17 | Friday | W, 77–52 | vs. UC Riverside | 3–0 |
| Battle 4 Atlantis in the Bahamas | ||||
| 22 | Wednesday | W, 91–69 | Northern Iowa | 4–0 |
| 23 | Thursday | L, 83–81, OT | Villanova | 4–1 |
| 24 | Friday | W, 87–72 | Arkansas | 5–1 |
| ACC/SEC Men’s Challenge | ||||
| 29 | Wednesday | W, 100–92 | vs. No. 6 Tennessee | 6–1 |
| December | ||||
| 2 | Saturday | W, 78–70 | vs. Florida State | 7–1, 1–0 ACC |
| Jimmy V Classic in New York | ||||
| 5 | Tuesday | L, 87–67 | No. 1 Connecticut | 7–2 |
| CBS Sports Classic in Atlanta | ||||
| 16 | Saturday | L, 87–83 | No. 12 Kentucky | 7–3 |
| Jumpman Invitational in Charlotte | ||||
| 20 | Wednesday | W, 81–69 | Oklahoma | 8–3 |
| ————————— | ||||
| 29 | Friday | W, 105–60 | vs. Charleston Southern | 9–3 |
| January | ||||
| 2 | Tuesday | W, 70–57 | at Pittsburgh | 10–3, 2–0 ACC |
| 6 | Saturday | W, 65–55 | at Clemson | 11–3, 3–0 ACC |
| 10 | Wednesday | W, 67–54 | at N.C. State | 12–3, 4–0 ACC |
| 13 | Saturday | W, 103–67 | vs. Syracuse | 13–3, 5–0 ACC |
| 17 | Wednesday | W, 86–70 | vs. Louisville | 14–3, 6–0 ACC |
| 20 | Saturday | W, 76–66 | vs. Boston College | 15–3, 7–0 ACC |
| 22 | Monday | W, 85–64 | vs. Wake Forest | 16–3, 8–0 ACC |
| 27 | Saturday | W, 75–68 | at Florida State | 17–3, 9–0 ACC |
| 30 | Tuesday | L, 74–73 | at Georgia Tech | 17–4, 9–1 ACC |
| February | ||||
| 3 | Saturday | W, 93–84 | vs. No. 13 Duke | 18–4, 10–1 ACC |
| 6 | Tuesday | L, 80–76 | vs. Clemson | 18–5, 10–2 ACC |
| 10 | Saturday | W, 75–72 | at Miami | 19–5, 11–2 ACC |
| 13 | Tuesday | L, 86–79 | at Syracuse | 19–6, 11–3 ACC |
| 17 | Saturday | W, 96–81 | vs. Virginia Tech | 20–6, 12–3 ACC |
| 24 | Saturday | W, 54–44 | at Virginia | 21–6, 13–3 ACC |
| 26 | Monday | W, 75–71 | vs. Miami | 22–6, 14–3 ACC |
| March | ||||
| 2 | Saturday | W, 79–70 | vs. N.C. State | 23–6, 15–3 ACC |
| 5 | Tuesday | W, 84–51 | vs. Notre Dame | 24–6, 16–3 ACC |
| 9 | Saturday | W, 84–79 | at No. 13 Duke | 25–6, 17–3 ACC |
| ACC tournament Washington | ||||
| 14 | Thursday | W, 92–67 | Quarterfinals: Florida State | 26–6 |
| 15 | Friday | W, 72–65 | Semifinals: Pittsburgh | 27–6 |
| 16 | Saturday | L, 84–76 | Final: N.C. State | 27–7 |
| NCAA tournament | ||||
| 21 | Thursday | W, 90–62 | First round in Charlotte: Wagner | 28–7 |
| 23 | Saturday | W, 85–69 | Second round in Charlotte: Michigan State | 29–7 |
| 28 | Thursday | L, 89–87 | Sweet 16 in Los Angeles: No. 19 Alabama | 29–8 |
Photo via @UNC_Basketball
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