RJ DAVIS LEADS TAR HEELS PAST DEMON DEACONS IN 68-59 VICTORY

CHARLOTTE, N.C. – In an intense battle of back and forth runs with NCAA Tournament implications on the line, the No. 5 seed Tar Heels took down the No. 4 seed Demon Deacons on Thursday, 68-59. 

Wake Forest got out to an early 14-3 lead less than seven minutes into the duel. The very one-sided baby blue crowd was silent. 

The Tar Heels then answered with a 10-0 run, getting it back to a 14-13 game with 9:44 to go in the first half. But just like that, the Deacons rebounded, going on a quick spurt to make it 22-15 just a few minutes later. 

Despite the seven-point Wake Forest lead, the Heels stormed back again. As guard Elliot Cadeau made a layup with 2:43 remaining in the first half, the Heels had re-captured the lead for the first time since Drake Powell scored the first bucket of the game. 

“I mean, it's March,” North Carolina guard R.J. Davis said. “At the same time, our maturity, our level of experience has improved. And just the little details [have] enabled us to go on these runs.” 

Carolina went into the break with a 33-31 lead after junior guard Seth Trimble tipped one in with eight seconds remaining. 

Both teams were shooting 36% from the field in half number one. 

Leading the Deacons, Hunter Sallis had 11 points and two assists. Tre’Von Spillers had a strong half as well with eight points, going 4-of-6 on his attempts. 

Davis had 10 for Carolina. The 5th-year guard has come up big for the Heels countless times since 2020, and he did again Thursday—finishing with 23 points, shooting a ridiculous 5-of-6 from downtown. 

“For us it was just like go out there and hoop and not really having in the back of your mind this is an elimination game,” R.J. Davis said. “More about just staying composed through it all and going out there and playing our basketball.”

The Tar Heels came out hot in the second half, opening with a 9-1 run as Davis hit a three to make it 42-32, Carolina, as Wake Forest head coach Steve Forbes called timeout. 

It turned out to be a good one. Of course, the Deacons bounced back with a 14-3 run, taking the lead back at 46-45 with 11:55 remaining. 

Both squads were pretty tight from that point on. 

A flurry of intense moments ensued. There were a few controversial foul calls on both teams that got the players, coaches and fans alike riled up. 

Lost in the action, Davis also rolled his ankle, but was able to play through it at the end. 

With under three minutes to go, the hobbled guard hit a three to give Carolina a four point lead, igniting the Spectrum Center crowd. 

“That just shows the type of player he is and the type of person he is,” North Carolina forward Ven-Allen Lubin said. … 

“It’s not easy playing on a hurt ankle or just being injured, but just the toughness that he showed on the court just to be able to stay in and play through it, it really just shows the type of player that he is, and that's something that we really need—a player like that.”

Lubin was massive for the Heels in the final stretch. 

With 2:04 left, Cadeau threw up a lob that Lubin slammed down to give Carolina a six-point lead. Less than 30 seconds later, Lubin flushed a put-back dunk off a Withers miss. 

And that wasn’t all. 

With 1:13 to play, Lubin blocked a shot at the rim to ice it. The Deacons did not score again, and after a couple Carolina free throws, it was all but over. 

“It was just electric,” Lubin said. “And making plays like that, just knowing that coach always emphasizes going to the offensive boards, getting us second-chance opportunities. Just the way I wanted to attack the rim and give our team a chance to give us a win, it was very important that I just had to make those two dunks.” 

With the win, North Carolina’s hopes to play in this year’s NCAA Tournament should be rising. 

Whether or not the Heels get in, Davis gets at least one more game to play in his decorated collegiate career. This time it will come against No. 1 seed Duke on Friday night at 7 p.m. ET in the ACC Tournament semifinals. 

“There is urgency because he has no more eligibility left,” North Carolina head coach Hubert Davis said. “But there's also a sense of calmness and steadiness that this team has needed all year long, especially in situations like late game. … You have to have leaders like that on the team, and I can't think of anyone better than that, than R.J.”

“Embracing this moment, embracing my last time putting on this jersey,” R.J. Davis said. … “My last time playing college basketball, so I just want to finish out strong.”