By R.L. Bynum
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — Suddenly, North Carolina is playing confidently, finding the right combinations and looking nothing like the Tar Heels who hit rock bottom two weeks ago at Clemson.
With balanced scoring, consistent rebounding and a verve the Tar Heels could only dream of most of the season, the Tar Heels rolled into the Tucker Center — where many better UNC teams have stumbled — looking dramatically different.
UNC came away with an impressive 96–85 Quad 2 victory Monday night at the Tucker Center to slip into the right side of the bubble.
Coach Hubert Davis agreed that it was as if the Tar Heels “flipped a switch.”
“It feels that way,” Davis said. “I’m glad the switch came on. I think we’ve come a long way. There’s a lot more room for improvement. I don’t think we’re anywhere close to where we could be, and I’ve told them that. But the response after we lost to Clemson has been really good.”
Unlike how many games have played out this season, UNC (18–11, 11–6 ACC) withstood a second-half run from Florida State (16–12, 7–10) and finished strong to win four straight games for the second time this season, averaging 90.5 points during the streak.
“We’ll be up 12, and if we struggle for a four-minute stretch, then we’re up eight, as opposed to a tie ball game,” Coach Davis said. “We’re getting off the good starts, and we’re staying at good starts, pretty much for the entire game.”
RJ Davis, who led six Tar Heels scoring in double figures with 20 points, 3 3-pointers and 5 assists, said the players are doing a better job buying in to each other.
“I think it’s been shown the last four games,” he said. “Our energy is better, our mindset on both ends of the floor, offensively and defensively, and it just feels like we’re connecting.”
Teams aren’t able to focus so much on Davis with the scoring spread around so much with contributions from many players. Seth Trimble scored 17 points, Jae’Lyn Withers collected 11 points and 5 rebounds and UNC got 10 points each from Jalen Washington, Ven-Allen Lubin and Elliot Cadeau. Cadeau was efficient with his best game recently, dishing out seven assists against three turnovers.
“I can point to everybody who made an impactful play or plays that helped us win tonight, especially over the last four games,” Coach Davis said. “So many different people throughout the game and from game to game are stepping up. It’s not just one person.”
How crazy is UNC’s rebounding prowess of late? The Tar Heels, who won the boards against FSU 35–21, have outrebounded three consecutive opponents by at least 14 for only the third time since 1960 (also in 1991 and 2011). Carolina’s 24 second-chance points were the most since it scored 28 in the 2022 national championship game against Kansas.
“It was huge for us tonight. It’s been huge for us the last four games,” Coach Davis said, adding that it’s a tradition of Carolina basketball to go to the offensive glass strongly, but that it hasn’t been a strength most of the season until the last two weeks.
“We’re consistently getting the three, four and five to the offensive glass,” said Davis, whose team has outrebounded opponents by 47 in the last three games. “It has allowed us to be more efficient on the offensive end. We’re getting more cracks at it. And not only are we getting offensive rebounds, we’re converting them. And when you can do that, that’s huge for us offensively.”
Carolina’s last three opponents have each only had 21 rebounds, tied for the lowest by an opponent under Hubert Davis, along with Georgia Tech’s 21 on Dec. 6, 2021.
Two weeks after Trimble stood in a Littlejohn Coliseum hallway and questioned the effort of many of his teammates, he was happy to provide an update.
“It’s absolutely changed,” he said. “I think every guy that steps on that floor and every guy on the bench that has put 100 percent effort. It’s been all Coach Davis and the rest of the coaching staff and them just getting on us. And it’s been us holding each other accountable.”
Cade Tyson (6 points, 4 rebounds) had his best game as a Tar Heel, scoring six first-half points, including a follow shot in traffic.
“His number has been called over the last three games, and tonight he was awesome on both ends of the floor,” Coach Davis said. “We don’t win the game without Cade, and just really proud of him.”
Unlike the previous two games, UNC trailed in the first two minutes and for first-half stretches but led the entire second half. A Withers 3-pointer and a transition Drake Powell layup put the Heels up by four. But the lead never got bigger in the first half, and the game was tied three times in the first 8½ minutes.
The Seminoles surged to a four-point lead with six consecutive points, punctuated by a dunk from 6–11 center Malique Ewin with 9½ minutes left.
FSU led by one when Ewin went to the bench with two fouls. While he sat out the last 7:07 of the first half, UNC outscored the Noles 20–13, going to a zone defense. Ewin suffered an injury to his lower right leg and was helped to the dressing room after playing only 90 seconds in the second half.
An RJ Davis 3-pointer and Tyson follow shot gave UNC its lead in nearly 6½ minutes, starting an 18–7 run — including eight straight points — to go up by eight before leading 49–43 at halftime.
UNC went up by 14 with a 10–2 run, capped by 3-pointers from Davis and Cadeau. FSU sliced the lead six on an Alier Maluk dunk to cap a 9–1 run with 12:03 left in the game.
That was the first of three times FSU cut it to six, only to have UNC respond: First with a Trimble 3-pointer — UNC’s first field goal in more than three minutes — then an Davis 3-pointer, then a 12–2 run capped by a Cadeau 3-pointer that shoved the lead back to 16.
“I think the spurts have been bigger,” Coach Davis said. “And I think the times where teams come back, they don’t come all the way back.”
Jamir Watkins led the Seminoles with 26 points, with Jerry Deng adding 16.
NOTES — UNC returns home for its final Quad 4 game of the season, facing Miami at noon on Saturday (ESPN2). The Hurricanes (6–21, 2–14) lost their third consecutive game 81–68 at home against Virginia Tech on Saturday and host No. 3 Duke at 7 p.m. Tuesday. … It was Carolina’s seventh game with at least 10 3-pointers, pushing UNC to 6–1 in those games. … Florida State’s 62.5% first-half shooting was the best in any half by a UNC opponent this season. … Withers scored in double figures in back-to-back games for the first time since the first two games of the season. … The fan better known as “Marlins Man,” who shows up at many MLB games right behind the plate, was sitting in the third row behind the FSU bench. … UNC has won six consecutive games against the Seminoles and leads the series 54–16, including 20–8 in Tallahassee. … Hubert Davis is 6–0 against Florida State. … UNC’s 18 assists tied its ACC season high (also in the loss to Wake Forest). … Carolina shot at least 50% in both halves for the second time against an ACC opponent (also against N.C. State on Feb. 19). … It was only the second time this season the Heels had six double-figure scorers, also doing it against Kansas. … After calling only 17 first-half fouls, the referees whistled 33 in the second half.
UNC 96, FSU 85
| Team | League | Overall | NET* |
|---|---|---|---|
| No. 4 Duke | 10–0 | 21–1 | 3 |
| No. 20 Clemson | 8–1 | 18–4 | 31 |
| No. 18 Virginia | 8–2 | 19–3 | 17 |
| N.C. State | 8–2 | 17–6 | 25 |
| No. 14 North Carolina | 6–3 | 18–4 | 26 |
| Miami | 6–3 | 17–5 | 39 |
| No. 24 Louisville | 6–4 | 16–6 | 18 |
| Virginia Tech | 5–5 | 16–7 | 56 |
| California | 5–5 | 17–6 | 50 |
| SMU | 4–5 | 15–7 | 34 |
| Syracuse | 4–6 | 13–10 | 72 |
| Stanford | 3–6 | 14–8 | 77 |
| Florida State | 3–6 | 10–12 | 100 |
| Wake Forest | 2–7 | 11–11 | 72 |
| Boston College | 2–7 | 9–13 | 148 |
| Pittsburgh | 2–7 | 9–13 | 113 |
| Georgia Tech | 2–8 | 11–12 | 143 |
| Notre Dame | 2–8 | 11–12 | 85 |
* — Through Tuesday games
Monday’s result
No. 14 North Carolina 87, Syracuse 77
Tuesday’s results
No. 4 Duke 67, Boston College 49
No. 18 Virginia 67, Pittsburgh 47
N.C. State 84, SMU 83
Wednesday’s games
No. 24 Louisville 76, Notre Dame 65
California 90, Georgia Tech 85
No. 20 Clemson at Stanford, 10 p.m., ACC Network
Saturday’s games
Virginia Tech at N.C. State, noon, The CW
Syracuse at No. 18 Virginia, noon, ESPN
No. 24 Louisville at Wake Forest, noon, ACC Network
Miami at Boston College, 2 p.m., ACC Network
SMU at Pittsburgh, 2 p.m., The CW
Florida State at Notre Dame, 4 p.m., The CW
No. 4 Duke at No. 14 North Carolina, 6:30, ESPN
No. 20 Clemson at California, 8 p.m., ACC Network
Georgia Tech at Stanford, 8 p.m., ESPNU
Monday’s game
N.C. State at No. 24 Louisville, 7 p.m., ESPN
Tuesday, Feb. 10, games
No. 14 North Carolina at Miami, 7 p.m., ESPN
No. 18 Virginia at Florida State, 7 p.m., ESPNU
Notre Dame at SMU, 7 p.m., ACC Network
No. 4 Duke at Pittsburgh, 9 p.m., ESPN
| Date | Month/day | Time | Opponent/event (current ranks) | TV/ record |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| October | ||||
| 24 | Friday | L, 78–76 | vs. No. 16 BYU in SLC | Exhib. |
| 29 | Wednesday | W, 95–53 | vs. Winston-Salem St. | Exhib. |
| November | ||||
| 3 | Monday | W, 94–54 | vs. Central Arkansas | 1–0 |
| 7 | Friday | W, 87–74 | vs. No. 11 Kansas | 2–0 |
| 11 | Tuesday | W, 89–74 | vs. Radford | 3–0 |
| 14 | Friday | W, 97–53 | vs. N.C. Central | 4–0 |
| 18 | Tuesday | W, 73–61 | vs. Navy | 5–0 |
| Fort Myers Tip-Off | ||||
| 25 | Tuesday | W, 85–70 | vs. St. Bonaventure | 6–0 |
| 27 | Thursday | L, 74–58 | vs. No. 10 Michigan State | 6–1 |
| December | ACC/SEC Men’s Challenge | |||
| 2 | Tuesday | W, 67–64 | at Kentucky | 7–1 |
| ————————— | ||||
| 7 | Sunday | W, 81–61 | vs. Georgetown | 8–1 |
| 13 | Saturday | W, 80–62 | vs. USC Upstate | 9–1 |
| 16 | Tuesday | W, 77–58 | vs. ETSU | 10–1 |
| CBS Sports Classic in Atlanta | ||||
| 20 | Saturday | W, 71–70 | vs. Ohio State | 11–1 |
| ————————— | ||||
| 22 | Monday | W, 99–51 | vs. East Carolina | 12–1 |
| 30 | Tuesday | W, 79–66 | vs. Florida State | 13–1, 1–0 ACC |
| January | ||||
| 3 | Saturday | L, 97–83 | at SMU | 13–2, 1–1 |
| 10 | Saturday | W, 87–84 | vs. Wake Forest | 14–2, 2–1 |
| 14 | Wednesday | L, 95–90 | at Stanford | 14–3, 2–2 |
| 17 | Saturday | L, 84–78 | at California | 14–4, 2–3 |
| 21 | Wednesday | W, 91–69 | vs. Notre Dame | 15–4, 3–3 |
| 24 | Saturday | W, 85–80 | at No. 18 Virginia | 16–4, 4–3 |
| 31 | Saturday | W, 91–75 | at Georgia Tech | 17–4, 5–3 |
| February | ||||
| 2 | Monday | W, 87–77 | vs. Syracuse | 18–4, 6–3 |
| 7 | Saturday | 6:30 | vs. No. 4 Duke | ESPN |
| 10 | Tuesday | 7 p.m. | at Miami | ESPN or ESPN2 |
| 14 | Saturday | 2 p.m. | vs. Pittsburgh | ESPN |
| 17 | Tuesday | 7 p.m. | at N.C. State | ESPN or ESPN2 |
| 21 | Saturday | 1 p.m. | at Syracuse | ABC |
| 23 | Monday | 7 p.m. | vs. No. 24 Louisville | ESPN |
| 28 | Saturday | 6:30 or 8:30 | vs. Virginia Tech | ESPN or ESPN2 |
| March | ||||
| 3 | Tuesday | 7 p.m. | vs. No. 20 Clemson | ESPN or ESPN2 |
| 7 | Saturday | 6:30 | at No. 4 Duke | ESPN |
| 10–14 | Tues.-Sat. | ACC tournament | Spectrum Center, Charlotte |
Photo courtesy of UNC Athletics
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