The North Carolina Tar Heels won their second straight game when they defeated Charleston Southern 105-60 at the Dean Smith Center. This was the first ever meeting between the schools. The victory improved the Tar Heels to 9-3 on the season as they prepare to jump back into ACC play.
Six players, led by senior guard RJ Davis, scored in double figures. Davis led the team with 20 points and 10 assists, notching his first career double-double in those stats. A’lahn Sumler led the Buccaneers (4-9) with 21 points, on the back of 5 three-pointers.
Takeaway #1: A banner night for Davis lead the Heels
Davis started off hot, scoring 10 points in just under 6 minutes. Although he finished the first half with 12 points, it was his work on the defensive end that gave the Tar Heels the edge. His 7 assists and 4 steals going into halftime put him within a couple career highs.
Third-year head coach Hubert Davis was proud of the type of leader and player he has become in his four years at Carolina. “His leadership has been off the charts this year,” said Davis, “There are very few players that, from an offensive standpoint, have the ability to be able to score with the ball in his hands and off the ball.”
Davis’s ability to still get people involved was evident with his second career double-digit assist game. Five players benefited from his ball passing, with sophomore forward Jalen Washington scoring 8 of his career-high 17 as a result.
Defensively, Davis set a career-high with 5 steals. Coach Davis believes this is a lesson for the young players on the roster, saying that RJ’s preparation and practice has helped put him into the spot that he’s in.
Takeaway #2: Jalen Washington helps give Carolina opportunities
All the spotlight lands on the returning starters from last season, but Jalen Washington is making the most of his opportunities.
The Gary, IN native had career-highs with 17 points and 7 rebounds. This helped breathe life into the team from the rebounding side. Coach Davis loved how he was giving Carolina second-chance opportunities by attacking the glass.
Davis has put both Washington and graduate forward Armando Bacot on the floor at the same time during practice. He believes this gives the North Carolina Tar Heels “a bigger and different look, [helping] us in terms of rebounding.”
This practice regime translated to Washington helping the team on both ends of the court, creating positive plays that put Carolina in a position to win the game.
With ACC play starting in earnest, having Washington gaining more confidence by playing alongside Bacot in practice can only help the team. This, as Charleston Southern found out, can be a dangerous combination.
Takeaway #3: Post-break jitters disappear quickly with that first made basket
Freshman guard Elliot Cadeau has some big shoes to fill in the starting lineup. The West Orange, NJ native was named the ACC Preseason Rookie of the Year and was projected to help create more offense for North Carolina.
After scoring a career-high 15 against Northern Iowa in the first game of the Battle 4 Atlantis, he failed to break the double digit mark. He was only 3-for-9 shooting in Carolina’s last two games before facing the Buccaneers. It looked like the trend would continue, as he was scoreless after one half.
Sometimes, however, it is that first made basket that helps a player regain their confidence. That is exactly what happened to Cadeau, when he hit a layup just two minutes into the second half.
After that, he was shooting like he was a player on NBA Jam who could not miss. He hit his next five shots, including two free throws, to come just two points shy of his career high.
Coach Davis believes that having multiple guys, like Cadeau, being able to take that extra pass and be unselfish helps put the team in situations to be successful. Carolina will look to take all the lessons they have learned throughout the non-conference schedule and apply it against ACC competition.
Next game for Charleston Southern: vs. Presbyterian (Jan. 3 – 7 p.m.)
Next game for North Carolina: at Pittsburgh (Jan. 2 – 7 p.m.)