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After suffering back-to-back losses against high-profile competition, #11 North Carolina was seeking a win over a ranked opponent, to validate its position in the polls at #11. That opportunity came in the Jumpman Invitational, as UNC met #7 and previously unbeaten Oklahoma, in Charlotte. After a scoreless first two minutes, R.J. Davis swished in the first bucket of the game, and the Tar Heels never looked back on their way to an 81-69 win over the Sooners. Davis was one of four starters to score in double figures, as Armando Bacot (14), Cormac Ryan (13), and Harrison Ingram (11), all produced on that end of the floor. Carolina was able to overcome another poor rebounding performance, as they lost the rebounding battle 41-34, another sign that this isn’t your vintage UNC rebounding team.
The 81 points are the most that OU has allowed in a game so far this season, and the 69 points scored, happened to be the fewest they’ve scored in 2023-24. Otega OWeh, their leading scorer, scored 23 points to match R.J. Davis for the most scored by an individual in the game, and while two other Sooners reached the double-digit plateau, it wasn’t enough to overcome a 40% shooting night, including 30% from behind the arc, to go along with 18 turnovers. Those 18 turnovers, led to 24 points for UNC, which needed to find easy baskets against one of the best defensive teams in the country.
After trailing by as many as 15, Oklahoma made it a 70-65 ballgame in the closing stretch, but a three-pointer from R.J. Davis extended the lead back out to 8, and from there, Carolina felt threatened again. Davis has now scored 184 points across his last seven games, the most by a Tar Heel, since Tyler Hansbrough’s Player of the Year season in 2007-08. There’s still a lot of basketball left to be played, but if the season ended right now, Davis would be the ACC Player of the Year, an All-American, and if it wasn’t for Zach Edey at Purdue, he’d be the front runner for National Player of the Year honors, as the senior guard continues to flourish in his new role without Caleb Love.
This was the first time that UNC took the floor since the passing of program legend, and broadcasting great, Eric Montross who passed away on Sunday after a battle with cancer. The Tar Heels wore special shooting shirts tonight, with the “00” on the back, to go along with his name on the back of the shirt. There was a touching moment of silence, as those in attendance paid tribute to the life and legacy that the former big man leaves behind.
The Tar Heels now have some time to regroup after tonight’s big win, with their next game coming in 8 days against Charleston Southern, to officially close out non-conference play.
