No. 9 North Carolina overpowers Charleston Southern

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