UNC basketball had to withstand a 14-0 run in the second half to defeat the Elon Phoenix 90-76 Monday night.
RJ Davis, held to only seven points in the first half, rebounded to finish with a game-high 24 points on 7-for-19 shooting. The graduate student from White Plains, N.Y. also added seven rebounds and seven assists. The Tar Heels (1-0) also saw double-digit scoring efforts from Elliot Cadeau and Seth Trimble, adding 17 and 15 points respectively.
The Phoenix (0-1) had all but six points scored by three players. TK Simpkins was held to two points in the second half to finish with 14. His brother, TJ Simpkins, almost gave Elon the victory with his 15 second half points.
Takeaway #1: RJ Davis didn’t look like a Player of the Year candidate (in the first half)
Davis came into this season with a lot of expectations. He even was put on the preseason watch list for the Wooden Award, even having two CBB Review writers thinking he would win the award.
Unfortunately, Davis only scored seven points in the first half on 2-for-8 shooting. He also had four assists and four rebounds in that half.
In the second half, he showed both Elon and everyone in the Dean Dome why he is one of the best players in the nation. His 17 second half points, especially five-straight points to give the Heels the lead for good, energized the crowd.
RJ leads all scorers with 19 pts
UNC 74, Elon 71 | 6:02 2H pic.twitter.com/qJmVJnNM51
— Carolina Basketball (@UNC_Basketball) November 5, 2024
“[Davis is] somebody that has always stepped up throughout his entire career and he was able to do that tonight,” said fourth-year head coach Hubert Davis when asked about having an experience player like RJ Davis for moments like that.
Takeaway #2: Elon bench started off cold, but kept the Phoenix in the game late
At the end of the first half, Elon couldn’t get more than six points off the bench on 2-for-6 shooting. UNC basketball, taking advantage of this lack of offensive power, kept forcing TK Simpkins and Sam Sherry to take the majority of the shots.
Strong opening half for these three!
TK Simpkins – 12 points
Nick Dorn – 11 points
Sam Sherry – 10 points#phoenixrising #SALT pic.twitter.com/9nAORSEhH9— Elon Men’s Basketball (@ElonMBasketball) November 5, 2024
When play resumed however, it was the bench that was tasked with preventing a blowout. TJ Simpkins went 5-for-7 in the second half while going 5-for-5 from the line to keep the pressure on the Tar Heels.
Elon, down 12 points with 10:58 left, went on a 14-0 run that saw TJ Simpkins score eight of those points. In fact, TK Simpkins was held scoreless for the final 11:52 of the game, while Sherry only scored in the first five minutes of the second half.
Having such an unbalanced offense in the season opener can be expected, but the kinks will need to be worked out before the Phoenix start CAA play if they want to content.
Takeaway #3: Cadeau is getting more comfortable
Cadeau is getting more comfortable in his role as the point guard that sets up his teammates. He was two assists shy of a double-double, tallying 17 points and eight assists. He also hit several clutch three-pointers to help keep the Heels from giving up the lead for long.
“He was a really good shooter last year,” said Davis. “I think the biggest difference in terms in regards to his shot is just the times and the shot selection. You know, he [is] so much more mature and poised out there.”
In fact, Cadeau hit the first shot of the game from beyond the arc. This set the tone for UNC basketball offensively with Carolina hitting three of their first four baskets from behind the three-point line.
The Tar Heels will need to tighten up on their scoring opportunities, as they had seven different stretches where they missed three or more shots in a row. UNC basketball ended the game on a 21-5 run, only missing two shots in nine attempts. They also could only score 13 points off 16 Elon turnovers, a stat that could be devastating against a team like Kansas.
Next Up for North Carolina (1-0): at Kansas (1-0) – Nov. 8 at 7 p.m. EST
Next Up for Elon (0-1): vs. Bluefield (Division II) – Nov. 9 at 8 p.m. EST