The 2022-23 season got off to a good note for the UNC basketball program, beating UNC-Wilmington 69-56 in the season opener. While UNC picked up the win, they looked a bit sloppy and sluggish in this one.
The Seahawks kept pace with the Tar Heels for most of the first half, using a 3/4ths court pressure defensively. It forced UNC to break the press and earn their buckets as the Tar Heels struggled to put away the Seahawks early.
They also got it done on the glass, out-rebounding the Tar Heels the entire way and finishing with a 37-31 edge in that area. It’s rare for a team to out-rebounded UNC and the Tar Heels are a bit lucky it didn’t come back to bite them in this one.
While UNC did get to halftime with a 32-21 lead, they didn’t look as impressive as you’d hope. But it was the second half when the Tar Heels were able to take control.
The Seahawks had a stretch in which they made just 2 of 16 shots from the field at one point in the second half, allowing UNC to extend the lead to double digits. UNC-W never got closer than 9 in that second half as the Tar Heels were able to play better defensively and open up the scoring a bit on the offensive end.
Heels win.#CarolinaFamily | @WellsFargo pic.twitter.com/ZfiITViKL2
— Carolina Basketball (@UNC_Basketball) November 8, 2022
And they did so with Armando Bacot sitting a bit with four fouls.
The forward finished the game with 16 points and 9 rebounds, coming a rebound short of a double-double. Junior guards R.J. Davis and Caleb Love led the way for the Tar Heels scoring 17 points. Both struggled from the three-point line, going a combined 2-of-7. As a team, UNC went 2-of-10 from the three-point line, an area they excelled in last season.
UNC will look to clean things up this week as they host Charleston on Friday night.
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