CHARLOTTE—Armando Bacot offered the ability inside as top-seeded North Carolina led from begin to end and wore down No. 16 seed Wagner, 90-62, within the NCAA Match West Area first spherical on Thursday afternoon within the Spectrum Middle.
Bacot posted his 86th profession double-double earlier than halftime and completed with 20 factors and 15 rebounds in opposition to a Wagner crew with out the scale or bulk to defend him. Bacot has double-doubles in seven consecutive NCAA Match video games and 15+ rebounds in six straight NCAA contests.
“It is win or go house,” Bacot mentioned. “If you happen to lose, you go house. It is simply a kind of issues that is an much more sense of urgency to simply go on the market and play my greatest. All years we have labored to get so far. So simply tremendous locked in and attempting to win.”
RJ Davis scored 17 second-half factors to complete with 22, hitting 4 of seven three-pointers. Jae’Lyn Withers performed his greatest sport of the season for the Tar Heels, tallying a season-high 16 factors whereas tying his season excessive with 10 rebounds for his second double-double of the yr.
“Jae Whit, his vitality and energy on each ends of the ground actually ignited us and bought us the lead going into halftime,” UNC head coach Hubert Davis mentioned of Withers. “He got here off the bench, and his manufacturing was actual.”
The win sends the Tar Heels (28-7) into the NCAA second spherical on Saturday in opposition to Michigan State, which beat Mississippi State, 69-51, in an earlier first-round sport on Thursday in Charlotte.
UNC improved to 33-2 all-time within the NCAA spherical of 64 and 14-1 in NCAA Match video games in Charlotte. Carolina has received 132 Match video games, most in NCAA historical past.
UNC shot effectively within the early going and began to drag away within the latter parts of the opening 20 minutes, grinding down the undermanned Seahawks, who had solely seven accessible gamers in uniform. Carolina dominated inside, posting a 25-14 rebounding edge whereas capturing 51.9 % within the half whereas holding Wagner to 32.4 % earlier than the break.
It was extra of the identical within the second half as Carolina constructed its result in as many as 30 factors within the remaining minutes.
As a crew, UNC dominated factors within the paint (48-20), bench factors (26-6) and rebounding (43-24).
How It Occurred
First Half
• Aside from an early bloody nostril suffered by RJ Davis, the Tar Heels bought off to an excellent begin.
• Bacot asserted himself inside from the start of the sport, recording eight factors and 4 rebounds as Carolina hit 5 of its first 6 pictures earlier than the primary media timeout.
• Wagner saved issues tight for a lot of the primary half by forcing 4 early turnovers regardless of the Tar Heels asserting their will within the opening 9 minutes by capturing 7 for 8 with a 9-2 rebounding benefit.
• UNC used a 7-0 run to take its largest lead at 40-26 within the remaining 90 seconds, holding the Seahawks scoreless for over three minutes.
• The Tar Heel protection restricted Wagner to 32.4% capturing within the first half, the sixth time this season a UNC opponent has shot beneath 33.3% from the sector in a primary half.
• Withers had an enormous half, pitching in 10 factors, 5 boards and 6 of 9 free throws in an lively 9 minutes off the bench.
Second Half
• Carolina continued to shoot effectively within the second half and by no means let the Seahawks have an opportunity to threaten.
• The lead grew to as many as 30 within the remaining minutes at 88-58.
Postgame Tidbits & Notes
• Carolina is a No. 1 seed within the NCAA Match for a report 18th time and is 64-12 as a prime seed.
• UNC is 132-49 all-time in NCAA Match play. The 132 wins are essentially the most by any faculty in NCAA Match historical past.
• The Tar Heels improved to 33-2 within the NCAA Spherical of 64 (solely losses in 1999 and 2021).
• Carolina is 167-27 all-time in Charlotte, together with a 17-2 report within the Spectrum Middle.
• UNC is 13-1 within the NCAA Match in Charlotte and 35-2 in NCAA Match video games within the state of North Carolina.
• Thursday was the first-ever assembly between UNC and Wagner.
• The Seahawks had simply seven accessible gamers in uniform for the sport.
Up Subsequent
Carolina advances to Saturday’s NCAA second spherical in opposition to Michigan State in Charlotte at 5:30 p.m. on CBS.
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