UNC put its humbling trip to California behind it Wednesday night at the Smith Center, beating Notre Dame 91-69 to snap a two-game losing streak.
As in games against Wake Forest and Stanford earlier in January, UNC built an early lead quickly. The Tar Heels led 18-10 early on the strength of hot three-point shooting from Derek Dixon, Jaydon Young and Kyan Evans. But unlike the Wake Forest and Stanford games, when Carolina let that lead slip away, UNC built on it and eventually led by as many as 29 points in the second half. The Tar Heels’ 22-point margin of victory is its largest against a power conference team this season.
“I was encouraged at halftime, we didn’t extend [the lead] but we didn’t blow it,” head coach Hubert Davis said. “And I said, ‘Okay, let’s take another step… let’s raise our level even more. We’re just getting started.'”
The Tar Heels answered that challenge by scoring the first eight points of the second half, with Dixon and Henri Veesaar each hitting threes. UNC shot the three early and often Wednesday night: both its 34 attempts and its 13 makes set new season highs. Eight different Tar Heels made a three, tying a program record.
Elsewhere, UNC held significant advantages in fast break points (13-2) and defensive rebounds (34-21). Notre Dame grabbed nearly as many offensive rebounds (18) as it did defensive rebounds, but the Irish struggled to make those chances count — UNC limited them to 13 second-chance points.
“I feel like we could’ve done better with that, though,” said Jarin Stevenson, who finished with eight points and five rebounds. “They got a lot of cheap ones… we can’t let up. That’s part of the problem. We can’t let up, let them get back in the game that way.”
Veesaar finished with 15 points and 12 rebounds to record his 10th double-double of the season. He and Wilson – who scored 22 points Wednesday – have combined for 21 double-doubles this season. Derek Dixon started for the second consecutive game and scored 11 points, while Young recorded his first start as a Tar Heel and scored three. Wednesday’s game was the third straight in which UNC used a different starting lineup.
“The only reason I went that way to start the game is I felt like that group [Dixon, Young, Seth Trimble, Wilson and Veesaar] played the best against Cal,” Davis said. “That group played the closest, not where I wanted us to be, but the closest in terms of the effort, the energy, enthusiasm, the will and the want to that I require every time you get out on the floor.”
Carolina has now won seven straight home games against Notre Dame and six straight overall. Wednesday’s win improves UNC to 15-4 overall and 3-3 in ACC play. The Tar Heels will be back in action Saturday when they visit No. 14 Virginia in Charlottesville Saturday at 2 p.m.
Featured image via Associated Press/Chris Seward
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