Holding onto a slim four-point lead midway through the second half in Charlotte against a pesky Davidson squad, the 13th-ranked Tar Heels shifted into overdrive–as they ultimately pulled away from the Wildcats down the stretch for an 85-75 victory.

The combination of senior point guard Joel Berry and junior forward Luke Maye proved to be too much for Davidson to handle late in the game.

Berry didn’t get on the scoreboard until late in the first half, but finished with a game-high 27 points to go along with his four assists.

Maye added 24 points and a career-high 17 rebounds, while adding a pair of nifty baskets during the 18-4 run that decided the game.

Kenny Williams (left) was one of three Tar Heels to score in double figures on Friday against Davidson. (AP Photo/Jason E. Miczek)

Over that five-minute span—which began with five straight points from freshman forward Sterling Manley and ended after Theo Pinson’s made free throw with just over six minutes remaining—the Tar Heels went from being on upset watch to being completely in control.

UNC led by as many as 18 points down the stretch before Davidson closed the gap during garbage time.

It was a solid performance for head coach Roy Williams and company, who overcame the challenge of chasing their perimeter-oriented opponents around the three-point line for most of the evening.

“A lot of guys were really involved in some good things for us,” Williams told reporters after the game. “We had to have that kind of play because I just think Davidson is really a hard team for us to play—because I like to play two big guys and it was hard to do that tonight.”

Despite the difficulty in creating favorable matchups, the Tar Heels were relentless all game long on the glass–out-rebounding the Wildcats by a staggering margin of 54-23.

Davidson (3-3) got 22 points, seven rebounds and five assists from star forward Peyton Aldridge–and matched its NCAA-leading season average of 14 made three-pointers—but converted on just 12 of its 31 attempts from inside the arc.

UNC trailed by as many as seven points during the first half, however the advantage inside helped wear Davidson down as the game wore on.

Without the ability to do anything inside—whether it be scoring the ball or rebounding it—head coach Bob McKillop’s Wildcats became hopeless trying to stop the Tar Heels from getting what they wanted.

“We try to score inside and we try to get more rebounds because we’re bigger,” Williams said. “If you look at the rebound totals, it’s 54-23. That’s a huge advantage for us. You look at second-chance points, it’s 25-5. You look at scoring in the paint, it’s 48-18.

UNC head coach Roy Williams saw his team recover from a seven-point first-half deficit against Davidson, as the Tar Heels ultimately led by as many as 18 points late in the game. (AP Photo/ Jason E. Micszek)

“Bobby [McKillop] gets his kids to play to their strengths and I think we need to play to our strengths.”

The win brings the Tar Heels to 7-1 so far, a record they’ve compiled with key players battling injuries and without having much time to rest.

Right now, the team currently has two more games as part of a stretch consisting of 10 in the season’s first 27 days—including the week-long trip to the west coast over Thanksgiving.

Although UNC has played well for the most part—the ugly loss to Michigan State being the exception—its head coach is looking forward for a chance to slow things down just a bit, so he can evaluate where things are in comparison to previous years.

“We haven’t had a chance to catch our breath,” Williams said. “It wasn’t 10 games at home. We’ve only played three home games. So I think the schedule is probably a little more challenging than I should have made it.

“I haven’t really cared the past couple years because I thought we were gonna be really, really good.”

Up Next:

UNC will return to Chapel Hill to face Tulane on Sunday. Tip-off is set for 2 p.m.

Game Notes:

  • With 12 points, junior guard Kenny Williams joined Berry and Maye as the only other Tar Heel to score in double figures.
  • The Tar Heels were without the services of sophomore guard Seventh Woods due to a foot injury. This gave classmate Brandon Robinson increased playing time, and he responded by scoring eight points off the bench.

 

 

FINAL BOX SCORE

 

 

Cover photo via Jason E. Micszek (Associated Press)