North Carolina Defeats 16th-Ranked Clemson, S.C., RJ Davis scored 14 points while Armando Bacot had 14 points and 16 rebounds, leading No. 8 North Carolina to a 65-55 win over 16th-ranked Clemson on Saturday.
No.8 North Carolina Defeats 16th-Ranked Clemson
Despite entering the game as the Atlantic Coast Conference’s leading scorer with an average of 21.2 points per game, Davis faced difficulties finding his shot against the Tigers (11–3, 1–2). Still, the senior stood out in key moments and played a key role in the Tar Heels’ (11-3, 3-0) success.
Davis’ 3-pointer erased Clemson’s four-point lead, giving North Carolina a 39–38 advantage. He increased the margin to 45-41 with another shot. Despite Clemson’s efforts, they could not close the margin to less than two points in the remaining games, resulting in their second consecutive loss after an 11–1 start.
Bacot had his 54th career double-double and held Tigers’ leading scorer PJ Hall to 10 points on 4 of 13 shooting.
The first half featured a defensive showdown between the two bottom-ranked teams in the ACC defensive standings.
During the first 20 minutes, North Carolina successfully thwarted the Tigers’ attempts from behind the arc, holding them to 0-of-8. Joe Girard III, Clemson’s primary outside threat and a transfer from Syracuse, connected on just 1 of 7 shots in the first half, finishing the game at 1 of 10 overall.
Chase Hunter scored 17 points to lead the Tigers, and Ian Schieffelin added 16 points and grabbed 11 rebounds.
Big picture
North Carolina: The Tar Heels demonstrated their ability to win tough, back-and-forth games even in the absence of peak performances from key players like Davis and Bacot. This is a positive indicator of North Carolina’s prospects.
Clemson: Clemson’s strong start to the season was overshadowed by consecutive ACC losses to Miami and the Tar Heels. To bounce back, the team needs to rediscover the scoring prowess that previously ranked them as the top ACC team in the NET rankings.
Next
North Carolina will face North Carolina State on Wednesday night.
Clemson travels to Virginia Tech on Wednesday night.
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