National Basketball Association
North Carolina 105, Charleston Southern 60
When: 8:00 PM ET, Friday, December 29, 2023
Where: Dean E. Smith Center, Chapel Hill, North Carolina
Officials:
# Bert Smith, # Roger Ayers, # Bart Lenox
Attendance:
21750
By Field Level Media
RJ Davis led No. 9 North Carolina in scoring for the eighth game in a row, pouring in 20 points in a 105-60 rout of visiting Charleston Southern on Friday night in Chapel Hill, N.C.
Jalen Washington came off the bench to score a career-high 17 points, Elliot Cadeau supplied 13, and Armando Bacot provided 12 points and nine rebounds. Seth Trimble added 12 points and Harrison Ingram 10 as the Tar Heels (9-3) never trailed.
Davis, a senior guard, shot 7-for-13 from the field, including three 3-point baskets. He also distributed 10 assists and made five steals. It was his first double-double of the season.
A'lahn Sumler pumped in 21 points and DJ Patrick had all 11 of his points in the first half for Charleston Southern (4-9), which met the Tar Heels for the first time.
This was clearly a breather for North Carolina, which has won two games in a row before heading back to Atlantic Coast Conference competition for the remainder of the regular season. The previous three games for the Tar Heels came against Connecticut, Kentucky and Oklahoma -- three teams in or near the Top 10.
North Carolina shot 56.2 from the field, aided by Washington's 7-for-9 mark. Ingram joined Davis with three treys.
James Okonkwo, a transfer from West Virginia, registered his first field goal as a Tar Heel, allowing North Carolina to reach triple digits with 1:46 left.
Charleston Southern shot 33.3 percent from the floor. Ten of the team's 21 field goals were 3-pointers, led by Sumler's five.
North Carolina led 51-28 at halftime, with Davis, Bacot and Washington all scoring 12 points. Washington had seven straight points in a 14-0 spurt that produced a 24-9 edge before 8 1/2 minutes had elapsed in the game.
The Tar Heels couldn't be contained. A 13-0 run pushed the gap to 97-54 with just over three minutes left.
--Field Level Media
Top Game Performances
Charleston Southern |
|
North Carolina |
A'Lahn Sumler 21 |
Scoring |
RJ Davis 20 |
RJ Johnson 3 |
Assists |
RJ Davis 10 |
Taje' Kelly 7 |
Rebounds |
Armando Bacot 9 |
RJ Johnson 4 |
Free Throws Made |
RJ Davis 3 |
A'Lahn Sumler 1 |
Steals |
RJ Davis 5 |
RJ Johnson 1 |
Blocks |
Cormac Ryan 2 |
Team Stats Summary
Team |
Points |
FG% |
3PM-3PA |
FTM-FTA |
Assists |
Rebounds |
Blocks |
Steals |
Turnovers |
Charleston Southern
|
60 |
33.3 |
10-25 |
8-9 |
12 |
23 |
2 |
1 |
12 |
North Carolina
|
105 |
56.2 |
11-26 |
12-14 |
20 |
46 |
7 |
9 |
5 |