CHAPEL HILL, N.C. — No. 19 North Carolina improved to 2-0 with its 94-87 victory over Brown at the Smith Center on Friday night. It was a tougher game than anyone expected, but the crowd played a significant impact late in the game to spark the Tar Heels to outscore the Bears by 13 points over the final 12:04.
R.J. Davis ended any perceived threat by catching fire from 3-point range in the final stages of the game. The sophomore guard scored a career-high 26 points on 9-of-17 shooting, including a 6-of-9 effort from deep, while also dishing out six assists. Davis drained four 3-pointers in the final seven minutes to turn back the Bears’ upset bid.
Armando Bacot was a force on the block, scoring 22 points on a career-high 10 field goals. Brady Manek (14 points, 8 rebounds) scored seven consecutive points in the second half, while Caleb Love added 13 points and five assists.
The Tar Heels struggled with dribble penetration as the Bears made 15 layups and shot 50.7% from the floor.
Read and watch all of Hubert Davis’ postgame comments below:
