Read below for a full UNC vs La Salle prediction and preview.
The Tar Heels got in the win column for the first time since the first round of the Maui Invitational, struggling to pull away from Georgia Tech en route to a 68-65 victory. The teams swapped the lead nine times and were tied 12 other times. Seth Trimble and Ian Jackson led the way for Carolina, scoring 19 and 15 points respectively. This is the first meeting between these two programs since January 1988, when the Tar Heels defeated LaSalle 96-82.
General Information:
Teams: North Carolina (5-4) and La Salle (6-4)
Tip time: 4 p.m. EST
Watch: The CW Network
Listen: WCHL 97.9 FM (Internet Radio)
Latest on La Salle basketball:
La Salle enters this game on seven games rest and on a two-game losing streak, losing to conference rival St. Joseph’s in the Big 5 Classic finals. The Explorers are led by Corey McKeithan, leading the team in scoring and assists. The transfer from Rider is making the most of his new environment, notching a career-high in scoring with 18.8 PPG. He has led the team in scoring in six of the team’s 10 contests so far.
STREAMERS🎉🎉🎉#GoExplorers🔭 pic.twitter.com/b2uELeV0Xu
— La Salle Men’s Basketball (@LaSalle_MBB) December 8, 2024
Fran Dunphy, entering his third season with the Explorers, is coaching his third team within the Philadelphia Big 5 schools. He led Penn to an upset of sixth-seeded Nebraska in the 1994 NCAA Tournament. Earning the nickname “Mr. Big 5, ” Dunphy has 518 victories in that annual city tournament.
Latest on UNC basketball:
The Tar Heels are coming back from their winter exam break after defeating the Yellow Jackets. In that game, Carolina broke a four-game streak in which they entered halftime trailing. Freshman Ian Jackson ranks fourth on the team, averaging 11.5 PPG despite not starting a single game yet.
Captain Jack from DEEEEEEP 🎯
📺 ACCN pic.twitter.com/QS267WUylR
— Carolina Basketball (@UNC_Basketball) December 7, 2024
The Tar Heels were able to get above 40 rebounds in a game for just the second time this season, notching 43 against Georgia Tech. Those stats do not include any dead ball rebounds. Jae’lyn Withers, despite only starting seven of the team’s nine games, is currently leading the team with 48.
On the defensive end, Carolina has been struggling and allowing teams to shoot 34.3% from beyond the arc while letting teams get 10.6 offensive rebounds per game. This game would be the only opportunity to work on correcting those issues before they face two power conference opponents.
The stress of the three-game losing streak seemed to be taking a mental toll on the squad, especially with a lot of young players on the roster.
“Guys felt pressure from a need to get a win from what the fans had to say, from what the media (is saying),” said junior Seth Trimble said. “A lot of guys haven’t dealt with that before. In high school, you get written in your local newspaper and that’s about it.”