With a pair of tough, consecutive losses to college basketball powers UConn and Kentucky, the UNC men’s basketball team needed a bounce-back win.
That wasn’t going to be easy on Wednesday night, with the 7-ranked Oklahoma Sooners coming to North Carolina for a highly-anticipated, non-conference clash in the Jumpman Invitational. Oklahoma entered the game averaging 84.4 points per game, which ranks 28th in college basketball, with an 81-47 thumping of Green Bay in its last matchup.
Not only did the Tar Heels just beat the Sooners, they made the Big 12’s lone remaining, undefeated team look uncomfortable throughout in a 81-69 UNC victory.
Carolina forced 18 Oklahoma turnovers, a welcomed sight to see after struggling defensively against UConn and Kentucky. Armando Bacot played much better by being aggressive in the paint, whether draining turn-around hook shots, blocking Sooner shots or pulling down rebounds. Four UNC players scored in double-digits, anchored by 23 from R.J. Davis.
While it wasn’t a home game for the Tar Heels, it sure felt like one. The Spectrum Center, home to the NBA’s Charlotte Hornets, was filled with a sea of Carolina Blue. Chapel Hill is just a 2.5-hour drive from Charlotte, while Norman, Okla. is 16.5 hours.
Let’s take a lot at how Tar Heel Nation reacted to the timely victory on social media: