The Tar Heels looked bad. Really, really bad.

Florida State led by as many as 14 points in the second half in front of a stunned Smith Center. The Seminoles were raining in three-pointers and had smothered Carolina’s once-potent offense.

Then, the Tar Heels hit the gas.

Using consistent backcourt pressure to force a plethora of Florida State turnovers, Carolina unleashed a 22-0 run midway through the second half to turn the game on its head and take the lead. UNC would salt the game away at the free throw line to earn a hard-fought 78-70 win.

 

Florida State’s largest lead at 45-31 came after the Seminoles led 35-29 at halftime and opened the second half on a 10-2 run. Carolina had started the game shooting 6-10, but then lagged to just a 5-20 finish to the first half. The Tar Heels then missed their first three shots of the first half to dig the 14-point hole.

“The energy and the effort, for whatever reason, wasn’t there,” said head coach Hubert Davis. “It seemed like we were a step slow on both ends of the floor.”

It prompted a fiery Davis to institute a full-court press defense after both made and missed Seminole shots. Sophomore guard Seth Trimble entered the game alongside R.J. Davis and Elliot Cadeau, giving UNC a small but quick lineup. The strategy worked wonders, as Florida State committed seven turnovers in a span of nine minutes as Carolina slingshot itself in front.

“It brought our energy up,” Hubert Davis said. “It got us steals and deflections… and if we didn’t get a steal or a deflection, it sped [Florida State] up. And then when they missed, it got us out in transition, where we want to be.”

To Davis’ point, UNC ended with 18 points off turnovers and 16 fast-break points, with much of that total coming during the decisive 22-0 run, which flipped a 56-48 deficit into a 70-56 lead. Wing Harrison Ingram scored nine of his 11 points in the second half, including an and-1 layup to give Carolina a 61-56 advantage with 7:01 left.

“What’s underrated about a good team is how you can get on each other and know that it’s all love at the end of the day,” said Ingram. “Armando’s yelling at me. I was yelling at him. R.J.’s yelling at us. We’re yelling at R.J. Just trying to get back in the game, bringing that energy and staying together.”

Davis finished with a game-high 27 points, making him only the 10th Tar Heel ever – and the first since Joseph Forte – to score at least 27 in three consecutive games.

But the stat of the night belonged to Trimble, who made the most of his minutes off the bench. Thanks to remaining on the floor for almost all of the 22-0 run, the Trimble finished with a jaw-dropping +24 rating in just 13:51 of game time. He scored nine points, including a layup to tie the game at 56-56.

“That’s like my little brother,” said Davis. “When he comes in, he’s applying pressure on the defensive end and he’s being aggressive using his athleticism. That’s where we’re gonna need him going forward.”

“I told him it’s about heart and hard work,” said Hubert Davis. “He got elbowed in the hip, and that’s the only reason he came out. If he didn’t get elbowed in the hip, he would’ve played the rest of the game. He was playing that well.”

As one of the only holdovers from last season’s team, Trimble saw plenty of desperation comebacks fizzle out in the late minutes. He said the difference this season is a simple one.

“I think we want it more this year,” Trimble said. “That’s it. We want it more… and we’re willing to do anything to make it happen.”

Now 7-1 on the season, Carolina will not play another home game for 27 days. Its next test will take it up to Madison Square Garden in New York, where the Tar Heels will take on defending national champion UConn on Tuesday at 9 p.m.

 

Featured image via Todd Melet

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