UNC closed the game on a 12-2 run to pull away from USC Upstate late and beat the Spartans 80-62 at the Smith Center Saturday afternoon.

Carolina’s late run came after the Spartans had kept the game close for much of the afternoon. UNC led 37-28 at halftime and pushed that lead to 16 points at 68-52 with seven minutes to go, but Upstate hit back with eight straight points to cut the edge to single digits at the 4:19 mark. Head coach Hubert Davis called a timeout, after which the Tar Heels went on their run.

“To beat North Carolina is big for any school,” said wing Jonathan Powell, whose three-pointer sparked the run. “So any team that comes in here, they’re ready to come at our necks.”

That intensity led Upstate to fight hard on the glass. UNC held a 37-34 edge in total rebounds, but the Spartans grabbed 11 offensive rebounds to Carolina’s seven. USC Upstate turned those 11 offensive rebounds into 11 second-chance points.

“Unacceptable,” Davis said. “For them to have more offensive rebounds than us is not good. For us to only outrebound them by three… in that area, we did not play well.”

“I feel like our preparation in practice a couple days before [today] wasn’t good,” said freshman Caleb Wilson, who scored 20 points to go along with 11 rebounds for his seventh double-double.

Wilson indicated he had not been able to practice at all in the leadup to Saturday’s game with a foot injury. He did not provide any further details as to the nature of the injury or how it occurred. Davis, for his part, said Wilson practiced fully for the entire week. Davis did agree that the practices before Saturday’s game were not up to his standard.

“It’s a tremendous lesson,” Davis said. “And my hope is that they can clearly see that there is a connection between how you prepare and how you practice in relation to how you play.”

Powell recorded his best game as a Tar Heel, scoring 17 points in 24 minutes off the bench to tie a career high. Luka Bogavac reached double figures for the eighth consecutive game with 15 points while also making three three-pointers of his own to match Powell. Overall, UNC shot 10-23 (43.5 percent) from long distance, just shy of its best performance of the season by percentage. It was just the third time this season the Tar Heels have made at least 10 threes.

“Being able to space the floor more as a team helps us a lot,” said center Henri Veesaar, who scored 14 points and grabbed nine rebounds. “The gaps get a little lighter. They can’t be as heavy in the gaps. And if they are, it’s an easy three.

Saturday’s win improves Carolina to 9-1 overall this season, which is the program’s best start through 10 games since the 2017-18 season. The Tar Heels will be back in action when they host East Tennessee State at the Smith Center Tuesday night at 8 p.m.

 

Featured image via Associated Press/Chris Seward

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