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It was RJ Davis' night at the Dean E. Smith Center as the senior helped UNC seal another victory at home. The thrilling encounter with Miami was closely contested till the end with some jump-out-of-your-seat moments, thanks to Davis. The crowd was pumped and one could see the energy translated onto the court as the Tar Heels players put up an excellent show.
The spotlight was on RJ Davis as he scored a career-high 42 points with six rebounds, one assist and four steals. With each basket of his, the crowd erupted in cheers as he helped the Tar Heels extend their victory streak to three games. RJ Davis also set a Smith Center scoring record, shooting 14-of-22 from the field and 7-of-11 from the 3-point line.
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The record was previously held by Tyler Hansbrough, who put a 40-point performance against Georgia Tech in 2006. Davis is also the first North Carolina player since Harrison Barnes to score 40 points in any arena. Barnes achieved this in the ACC tournament in 2011.
RJ Davis was also supported by Harrison Ingram, who put up eight points with 10 rebounds, two assists and five steals. Armando Bacot added five points with 12 rebounds, three assists and two blocks.
Miami gave their best against UNC
In the first half, the game was closely contested as the Hurricanes threw their best at No. 9 North Carolina. Norchad Omier scored 22 points with five rebounds as Bensley Joseph added 21 points with six rebounds and five assists. Matthew Cleveland put up 10 points with 11 rebounds, two assists and a steal.
Despite being short-handed, Miami kept the Tar Heels on their toes till the final buzzer with a hot streak of 3-point shooting (14-for-30). With this loss, the Hurricanes extend their disappointing season.
Also Read: Will UNC make the March Madness 2024? Breaking down the Tar Heels' NCAA Tournament 2024 odds
The Tar Heels, on the other hand, established dominance in the ACC conference, increasing their gap with second-placed Duke University. For RJ Davis, this season is turning out to be his best at North Carolina. The guard currently averages 21.0 ppg, 3.6 rpg and 3.5 apg.
UNC will take on city-rivals NC State next at Dean E. Smith Center on March 2.
Do you think they can repeat this victory? And what did you think of RJ Davis' performance? Let us know in the comment section below.
What could Alabama basketball's 2024-25 starting lineup look like? Find out here
