No. 7 North Carolina suffocates North Carolina State, 67-54

Field Level Media|published: Wed 10th January, 22:44 2024

Jan 10, 2024; Raleigh, North Carolina, USA; North Carolina Tar Heels forward Armando Bacot (5) shoots the ball during the first half against North Carolina State Wolfpack at PNC Arena. credits: Jaylynn Nash-USA TODAY Sports

RJ Davis scored 16 points and Harrison Ingram grabbed a career-best 19 rebounds as No. 7 North Carolina beat rival North Carolina State 67-54 on the road Wednesday night in front of a sold-out crowd in Raleigh, N.C.

Elliott Cadeau was the only other Tar Heel to score in double figures, chipping in 11 points and six assists in the victory for UNC (12-3, 4-0 Atlantic Coast Conference). In addition to his performance on the glass, Ingram also had nine points, as did Armando Bacot.

Casey Morsell led the Wolfpack (11-4, 3-1) with 12 points and six rebounds, while DJ Burns Jr. had 11 points and two blocks.

While NC State's winning streak was snapped at four games, UNC extended its own streak to five. It was the first time since 1974 that the Tar Heels and Wolfpack faced off while both had records of 3-0 or better in ACC play.

The game was tightly contested in the first half, with NC State leading by as many as four points while UNC led by as many as six. The lead changed hands three times and the Tar Heels took a two-point advantage into intermission, largely thanks to eight first-half points from Cormac Ryan and 10 first-half rebounds from Ingram, the latter of whom shined in the opening frame as Bacot played just 10 minutes.

NC State cut its deficit to 48-46 with 10:19 left in the second half, but UNC responded with a 19-4 run to take a 17-point lead, its largest advantage of the game. Cadeau had five points and three assists during that crucial stretch for the Tar Heels. Over that span of just over six minutes, the Wolfpack shot just 2-for-12 from the floor.

And over the final four minutes of the game, North Carolina State scored just four points as the UNC defense held strong to preserve the victory.

The Tar Heels excelled in transition, outscoring the Wolfpack 18-8 on fastbreaks. North Carolina also outscored NC State 34-24 in the paint.

NC State shot a season-worst 2-for-21 from 3-point range, a 9.5 percent clip. The Tar Heels have now held three straight ACC opponents under 60 points.

—Field Level Media