CHAPEL HILL – If there was a debate about the ACC Player of the Year, UNC Basketball's RJ Davis silenced the conversation Monday night.
Davis finished with a Smith-Center record 42 points in the ninth-ranked Tar Heels' 75-71 victory against Miami, becoming the first UNC player to reach that mark since Tyler Hansbrough in 2006.
“Everything seemed easy,” RJ Davis said. “…Everything seemed to flow well for me.”
The senior guard scored 21 points in each half, making 14 of 22 shots, including seven 3-pointers. At one point in the second half, Davis hit four 3-pointers in a three-minute span.
“It was great for him to play like he did on the national stage, but what he did (against Miami) – I know he didn't score 42 points – but the type of performance he had (against Miami), he's been all season long,” UNC coach Hubert Davis said.
“He put the team on his back… We needed every part of his 42. He was fantastic. I told him after the game that I had seen several performances here in Carolina and also in the NBA. Very few have I seen the type of performance he had (against Miami).”
RJ Davis accounted for 56% of UNC points, which is the most by any Tar Heel in a game since George Glamack scored 59% of UNC points in 1941 against Clemson. Thirty-eight points is the largest gap between the leading scorer and second-leading scorer in a game in UNC history (Harrison Ingram scored eight points).
Has Hubert Davis ever seen a box score like Miami's?
“Yes,” he said. “I played 12 years in the NBA. I played with Dirk Nowitzki and Michael Jordan. I've seen that before. “That's what we needed.”
After missing 13 of his 14 shots in UNC's win at Virginia, Davis got what he wanted against the Hurricanes (15-14, 6-12 ACC), who were missing two of their best players in Nijel Pack and Wooga . Poplar.
Davis has scored 20 or more points in 18 of UNC's 28 games this season as the ACC's leading scorer. It was his third game with at least 30 points, but Davis also finished with six rebounds and four steals against Miami.
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Davis was the only player to reach double figures for the Tar Heels (22-6, 14-3), who remain atop the ACC standings with four games remaining in the regular season. Jae'Lyn Withers made a pair of free throws in the final seconds to help UNC survive.
Here are some other observations from UNC's win against Miami.
Harrison Ingram's Revolutionary Hustle
During an uninspiring stretch for UNC, in which Miami cut the lead to four points in the second half, Harrison Ingram's hustle calmed the tension in the Smith Center. With just over 11 minutes left, Ingram took a deflection that nearly went out of bounds before reaching it and finishing a layup in transition. He had eight points, 10 rebounds and five steals.
Miami's hot three-point shooting
Despite the injuries, Miami got off to a spectacular start from beyond the arc and made it a two-point game with 1:32 left. The Hurricanes had four players in double figures and finished with 14 3-pointers to keep UNC on their heels until the final buzzer.
You can contact staff writer Rodd Baxley atrbaxley@fayobserver.com or @RoddBaxley on X/Twitter.