The No. 1 North Carolina men’s basketball team (4-0) defeated James Madison (4-1), 80-64, in the Dean E. Smith Center on Sunday afternoon.
What happened?
The Tar Heels jumped out to a quick 5-0 lead after fifth-year forward Leaky Black found graduate forward Pete Nance inside for an open layup, followed by a free throw and a layup from senior forward Armando Bacot.
The Dukes got on the board with a three-pointer from guard Takal Molson over junior guard Caleb Love. On the next possession, junior guard RJ Davis swung it to a wide open Love at the top of the key, who answered with a triple of his own over Molson.
UNC continued to stifle James Madison on the inside, leading to Davis being fouled on a fastbreak. After he hit both free throws, the Tar Heels forced another tough shot, and Davis took it coast to coast, muscling his way inside for a contested layup.
Junior wing Puff Johnson checked into the game for the first time this season, eliciting a spirited applause from fans. The Dukes continued to only find success from the outside, with all 12 of their early points coming from downtown. After Molson hit another three, Black responded with a corner triple.
First-year guard Seth Trimble checked into the game at the under 12 and muscled his way inside for a left-handed layup. On the next play, Davis zinged the ball to Trimble in the corner, who hit his first career collegiate three-pointer to extend the lead to 24-12.
The teams continued to trade downtown shots, with James Madison forward Julien Wooden connecting from downtown, followed by Nance hitting a corner three off an assist from Love. Davis hit another three to extend the lead to 33-17.
Highlights to close out the half included Bacot showing off some handle, spinning his way to a right-hand layup after starting from the top of the key. Additionally, sophomore guard D’Marco Dunn hit a three from the right wing, followed by Davis scoring a three in isolation with a crossover pull-up three from the right wing. The Tar Heels led 45-26 at halftime.
