Instant Analysis: Wake Forest is defeated by RJ Davis-led UNC.
At the Smith Center, the third-ranked Red Heels torched Wake Forest 85-64, led by senior guard Davis’s spectacular scoring.
He scored an all-time high of 36 points, including 23 in the decisive second half in which UNC was dominated.
Davis concluded his performance to a standing ovation given by the jubilant home crowd when he checked with just 44.6 seconds remaining.
Four three-pointers made up his 14-for-23 field goal percentage in the subsequent half. Since January 2016, when Brice Johnson scored 39 points against Florida State, Davis’ explosive performance was the highest point total by a UNC player.
Additionally, it was the highest number of points scored by a Tar Heel in the Smith Center in February 2008, when Tyler Hansbrough put in 39 points against Clemson.
Cormac Ryan contributed 11 points, Elliot Cadeau scored 14 Harrison Ingram accumulated 14; Ryan contributed 11 points; and Carolina (16-3 overall, 8-0 ACC) extended the streak of victories to nine consecutive contests.
After falling behind Wake Forest 52-30 in the second half for the first time in five weeks, the Tar Heels turned the tide in their favor and secured their seventh consecutive ACC victory by a double-digit margin.
In the last 22 years, UNC has recorded a second 8-0 start within ACC league play. The 2015-16 team captained by Roy Williams, which ultimately advanced to the NCAA championship game, also began the conference 8-0.
Furthermore, Matt Doherty’s squad began the 2000-01 ACC season 11-0 before fizzing out. Monday night’s assignment facilitated a prompt resolution and served as the final leg of a three-game stretch that first-place UNC crammed into six days.
Following their Saturday victory at Boston College, the Fighting Tar Heels had only one day of preparation between themselves and their match against Wake Forest at home.
Andrew Carr contributed 14 points and Hunter Sallis contributed 18 points for Wake Forest (13-6, 5-3), which entered the ACC tied for second place with NC State as well as Florida State, trailing Carolina.
Before UNC gained momentum, the Demon The deacons led 36-33 shortly into the second half on a jump hook by large forward Efton Reid III.
On January 22, 2024, at Dean E. Smith Center, the North Carolina Red Heels (15-3, 7-0 ACC) will attempt to extend an eight-game winning streak against the Wake Forest Demon Deacons (13-5, 5-2 ACC).
Saturday, 76-66, North Carolina beat Boston College in its previous contest. RJ Davis led the team in scoring with sixteen points.
In its final contest of the day on Saturday, Wake Forest defeated Louisville 90-65. Hunter Sallis paced the assemblage with 19 points.
The majority of RJ Davis’ thirteen first-half scores for the Tar Heels came from a collection of floaters.
However, Damari Monsanto, a wake forest sharpshooter returning from injury and making his second appearance of the season, assisted the Demon Deacons in gaining the lead with two three-pointers in the final two minutes of the half.
After the second three-pointer connected, Monsanto wheeled around for a glance at the UNC spectators who were sitting in nearby parquet seats, as the visiting crowd objected to the Demon Deacons’ Hunter Sallis possibly having traveled before feeding Gmo on the wing but was not called.
At one point, the Tar Heels appeared to be discovering a groove for separation. The Tar Heels led Wake Forest 22-14 after Elliot Cadeau scored away the glass to finish a 10-0 surge. Wake Forest mentor Steve Forbes took timeout in response.
Cadeau performed exceptionally well in that sequence. He prevented Kevin “Boopie” Miller from slipping on defense. This steal incited Cadeau, who is 6 feet 1, to challenge Andrew Carr, who is 6 feet 11, and to score in transition.
On Saturday at 2:00 p.m. (ESP or ESPN2), Carolina travels to Florida State for their second regular-season meeting.
In their ACC league debut on December 2, the Tar Heels defeated the Seminoles 78-70 in Chapel Hill. Ledging from a double-digit deficit, the Tar Heels delivered an overwhelming victory that day through a 22-0 second-half barrage.