RJ Davis, No. 3 North Carolina roll after halftime to beat Wake Forest 85-64
CHAPEL HILL, N.C. (AP) RJ Davis got North Carolina rolling by attacking the basket or knocking down floaters in a tough first half, then hardly missed in the second.
By the final seconds, his crowd responded by roaring “RJ! RJ!" after the 6-foot senior pushed the third-ranked Tar Heels to another double-digit win in the Atlantic Coast Conference.
Davis continued his star-making season with a career-high 36 points as UNC dominated after halftime to beat Wake Forest 85-64 on Monday night. He had 23 second-half points for UNC (16-3, 8-0 ACC), which went from trailing by one at the break after failing to make a 3-pointer to consistently attacking the paint to build momentum toward the rim and find a humming flow.
“I feel like I'm in my backyard just out there hooping, just trying things out,” Davis said in describing “a zone that every hooper knows.”
The capper was a big hug from coach Hubert Davis as he checked out.
“I think RJ opened the game up for sure, like in every aspect," said freshman guard Elliot Cadeau, who had 14 points.
Davis finally got UNC on the board from behind the arc to start UNC's strongest push, taking a whip-the-ball-around-the-arc set of feeds to bury a corner 3-pointer before following with another 3 in transition.
That was the beginning of an 18-4 run, ending when Cormac Ryan buried his own transition 3 against the backpedaling Demon Deacons for a 59-45 lead with 11:46 left.
That sequence captured the problem for Wake Forest coach Steve Forbes, who noted the pregame message: “Carolina needed to run at us, we could not run with them or be behind them.”
“To me, it was all just defensive transition," Forbes said. “We couldn't score, they ran out and we couldn't get back.”
Wake Forest (13-6, 5-3) never got back to within single digits again during a cold-shooting second half that included going six minutes without a basket. The Tar Heels shot 19 for 31 (61%) and outscored Wake Forest 52-30 after halftime, earning yet another impressive victory.
Hunter Sallis scored 18 points to lead Wake Forest, which was trying for its first win in Chapel Hill since 2010. But the Demon Deacons shot 8 for 30 (26.7%) and missed all nine 3-point tries after halftime.
BIG PICTURE
Wake Forest: The Demon Deacons had lost only twice since 7-footer Efton Reid III got his second-time transfer waiver on Dec. 5, and over the weekend added outside shooter Damari Monsanto back for his first action following knee surgery. The first half was promising, the second half was a frustrating finish.
UNC: The Tar Heels have won seven straight ACC games by double-digit margins, the first time that has happened since winning 10 straight during the 1992-93 season that ended with Dean Smith's second and final NCAA title.
BIG NUMBERS
Davis had the best output by a UNC player since Brice Johnson scored 39 points at Florida State in January 2016. It was also the most points by a UNC player in the Smith Center since Tyler Hansbrough's 39 points in a double-overtime win against Clemson in February 2008.
UP NEXT
Wake Forest: The Demon Deacons get an extended break before traveling to Pittsburgh on Jan. 31.
UNC: The Tar Heels visit Florida State on Saturday.
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Time | Team | Play | Score | |
---|---|---|---|---|
20:00 | Efton Reid III vs. Armando Bacot (Tar Heels gains possession) | |||
19:46 | RJ Davis misses three point jump shot | |||
19:44 | Cameron Hildreth defensive rebound | |||
19:28 | +2 | Hunter Sallis makes two point jump shot | 2-0 | |
19:11 | Harrison Ingram misses three point jump shot | |||
19:09 | Hunter Sallis defensive rebound | |||
18:59 | Armando Bacot blocks Andrew Carr's two point layup | |||
18:57 | Tar Heels defensive rebound | |||
18:52 | Harrison Ingram misses three point jump shot | |||
18:50 | Efton Reid III defensive rebound | |||
18:24 | Cameron Hildreth misses two point jump shot | |||
18:22 | Armando Bacot defensive rebound | |||
18:14 | +2 | Cormac Ryan makes two point jump shot | 2-2 | |
17:43 | Kevin Miller misses three point jump shot | |||
17:41 | Cormac Ryan defensive rebound | |||
17:31 | +2 | RJ Davis makes two point layup | 2-4 | |
17:19 | +2 | Hunter Sallis makes two point jump shot | 4-4 | |
17:07 | Elliot Cadeau misses two point layup | |||
17:05 | Demon Deacons defensive rebound | |||
16:45 | Efton Reid III misses two point jump shot | |||
16:43 | Harrison Ingram defensive rebound | |||
16:28 | Armando Bacot misses three point jump shot | |||
16:26 | Cameron Hildreth defensive rebound | |||
16:17 | Hunter Sallis misses three point jump shot | |||
16:15 | Harrison Ingram defensive rebound | |||
16:04 | Armando Bacot misses two point layup | |||
16:02 | Cormac Ryan offensive rebound | |||
15:56 | RJ Davis misses three point jump shot | |||
15:54 | Efton Reid III defensive rebound | |||
15:31 | Efton Reid III misses three point jump shot | |||
15:29 | Harrison Ingram defensive rebound | |||
15:24 | Efton Reid III shooting foul (Harrison Ingram draws the foul) | |||
15:24 | TV timeout | |||
15:24 | Harrison Ingram misses regular free throw 1 of 2 | |||
15:24 | Harrison Ingram misses regular free throw 2 of 2 | |||
15:24 | Andrew Carr defensive rebound | |||
14:53 | Demon Deacons turnover (shot clock violation) | |||
14:41 | Cormac Ryan misses three point jump shot | |||
14:39 | Cameron Hildreth defensive rebound | |||
14:38 | Seth Trimble personal foul | |||
14:17 | Jae'Lyn Withers shooting foul (Andrew Carr draws the foul) | |||
14:17 | +1 | Andrew Carr makes regular free throw 1 of 2 | 5-4 | |
14:17 | Andrew Carr misses regular free throw 2 of 2 | |||
14:17 | Jae'Lyn Withers defensive rebound | |||
14:06 | RJ Davis misses two point jump shot | |||
14:04 | Andrew Carr defensive rebound | |||
13:56 | Cameron Hildreth turnover (bad pass) (Armando Bacot steals) | |||
13:40 | +2 | RJ Davis makes two point jump shot | 5-6 | |
13:18 | Hunter Sallis misses two point jump shot | |||
13:16 | Jae'Lyn Withers defensive rebound | |||
13:07 | Andrew Carr personal foul | |||
12:59 | Cormac Ryan misses two point jump shot | |||
12:57 | Damari Monsanto defensive rebound | |||
12:56 | Cormac Ryan blocks Kevin Miller's two point layup | |||
12:54 | Demon Deacons offensive rebound | |||
12:48 | +2 | Hunter Sallis makes two point layup | 7-6 | |
12:46 | Jalen Washington turnover (out of bounds) | |||
12:46 | Demon Deacons 30 second timeout | |||
12:33 | Hunter Sallis turnover (traveling) | |||
12:22 | +2 | Jalen Washington makes two point dunk (RJ Davis assists) | 7-8 | |
12:06 | +2 | Kevin Miller makes two point jump shot | 9-8 | |
11:52 | +2 | RJ Davis makes two point layup | 9-10 | |
11:30 | +3 | Parker Friedrichsen makes three point jump shot | 12-10 | |
11:15 | +2 | RJ Davis makes two point jump shot | 12-12 | |
10:49 | Damari Monsanto misses three point jump shot | |||
10:47 | RJ Davis defensive rebound | |||
10:43 | Parker Friedrichsen personal foul | |||
10:43 | TV timeout | |||
10:31 | Jump ball. Harrison Ingram vs. Efton Reid III (Efton Reid III gains possession) | |||
10:31 | Harrison Ingram turnover (lost ball) (Efton Reid III steals) | |||
10:04 | +2 | Hunter Sallis makes two point jump shot | 14-12 | |
9:49 | Damari Monsanto shooting foul (Jae'Lyn Withers draws the foul) | |||
9:49 | +1 | Jae'Lyn Withers makes regular free throw 1 of 2 | 14-13 | |
9:49 | +1 | Jae'Lyn Withers makes regular free throw 2 of 2 | 14-14 | |
9:23 | Efton Reid III misses two point jump shot | |||
9:21 | Harrison Ingram defensive rebound | |||
9:04 | +2 | Harrison Ingram makes two point jump shot | 14-16 | |
8:45 | Kevin Miller misses two point jump shot | |||
8:43 | Jae'Lyn Withers defensive rebound | |||
8:32 | Andrew Carr shooting foul (Jae'Lyn Withers draws the foul) | |||
8:32 | +1 | Jae'Lyn Withers makes regular free throw 1 of 2 | 14-17 | |
8:32 | +1 | Jae'Lyn Withers makes regular free throw 2 of 2 | 14-18 | |
8:19 | Paxson Wojcik personal foul | |||
8:05 | Kevin Miller turnover (lost ball) (Elliot Cadeau steals) | |||
7:54 | +2 | Elliot Cadeau makes two point layup | 14-20 | |
7:41 | Cameron Hildreth misses two point jump shot | |||
7:39 | Harrison Ingram defensive rebound | |||
7:35 | +2 | Elliot Cadeau makes two point layup | 14-22 | |
7:35 | Demon Deacons 30 second timeout | |||
7:35 | TV timeout | |||
7:13 | Efton Reid III misses three point jump shot | |||
7:11 | Paxson Wojcik defensive rebound | |||
6:59 | Andrew Carr blocks Paxson Wojcik's two point layup | |||
6:57 | Cameron Hildreth defensive rebound | |||
6:44 | +2 | Andrew Carr makes two point jump shot | 16-22 | |
6:25 | Efton Reid III blocks Elliot Cadeau's two point jump shot | |||
6:23 | Hunter Sallis defensive rebound | |||
6:13 | +2 | Hunter Sallis makes two point jump shot | 18-22 | |
5:56 | RJ Davis misses two point jump shot | |||
5:56 | Cameron Hildreth defensive rebound | |||
5:56 | Paxson Wojcik personal foul | |||
5:41 | Harrison Ingram personal foul | |||
5:39 | +2 | Cameron Hildreth makes two point jump shot (Kevin Miller assists) | 20-22 | |
5:28 | RJ Davis misses three point jump shot | |||
5:26 | Efton Reid III defensive rebound | |||
5:17 | Kevin Miller misses three point jump shot | |||
5:15 | Harrison Ingram defensive rebound | |||
5:00 | Cormac Ryan misses two point layup | |||
4:58 | Armando Bacot offensive rebound | |||
4:53 | +2 | Armando Bacot makes two point layup | 20-24 | |
4:35 | +2 | Cameron Hildreth makes two point jump shot | 22-24 | |
4:19 | +2 | Elliot Cadeau makes two point layup | 22-26 | |
3:49 | Elliot Cadeau shooting foul (Andrew Carr draws the foul) | |||
3:49 | TV timeout | |||
3:49 | +1 | Andrew Carr makes regular free throw 1 of 3 | 23-26 | |
3:49 | +1 | Andrew Carr makes regular free throw 2 of 3 | 24-26 | |
3:49 | +1 | Andrew Carr makes regular free throw 3 of 3 | 25-26 | |
3:33 | Cameron Hildreth shooting foul (Cormac Ryan draws the foul) | |||
3:33 | +1 | Cormac Ryan makes regular free throw 1 of 2 | 25-27 | |
3:33 | +1 | Cormac Ryan makes regular free throw 2 of 2 | 25-28 | |
3:12 | Cormac Ryan personal foul (Hunter Sallis draws the foul) | |||
3:12 | +1 | Hunter Sallis makes regular free throw 1 of 2 | 26-28 | |
3:12 | Hunter Sallis misses regular free throw 2 of 2 | |||
3:10 | Armando Bacot defensive rebound | |||
2:49 | Armando Bacot misses two point jump shot | |||
2:47 | Hunter Sallis defensive rebound | |||
2:29 | Hunter Sallis misses three point jump shot | |||
2:27 | Jae'Lyn Withers defensive rebound | |||
2:18 | +2 | RJ Davis makes two point jump shot | 26-30 | |
1:59 | +3 | Damari Monsanto makes three point jump shot (Cameron Hildreth assists) | 29-30 | |
1:39 | +2 | RJ Davis makes two point jump shot | 29-32 | |
1:13 | +3 | Damari Monsanto makes three point jump shot (Hunter Sallis assists) | 32-32 | |
0:56 | Jae'Lyn Withers misses three point jump shot | |||
0:54 | Cameron Hildreth defensive rebound | |||
0:33 | +2 | Cameron Hildreth makes two point jump shot | 34-32 | |
0:05 | Efton Reid III shooting foul (RJ Davis draws the foul) | |||
0:05 | RJ Davis misses regular free throw 1 of 2 | |||
0:05 | +1 | RJ Davis makes regular free throw 2 of 2 | 34-33 | |
0:01 | Kevin Miller misses three point jump shot | |||
0:00 | Demon Deacons offensive rebound | |||
0:00 | End of period |