...and this win was all about 3 words: Effort, effort and effort.

Ok, this will be short as I am sleep-deprived right about now, but again, in a shout-out to my friend @Tarheel75 , EFFORT overcomes a lot, and it did tonight.

- the main thing we had to overcome was a glaring SIZE difference across the board, and we set out to negate that right off the reel with defensive EFFORT. Eliot set the tone out of the gate, after rescuing a possession with a shot-clock 3, picked his much bigger counterpart for a lay-up. That was far from the end, as there was a team-wide effort to be the aggressors --- a very refreshing turn of events

- That team effort extended to HELP, with active hands causing TOs and thwarting their offensive actions. we also went after their paint shot attempts with a vengence, and Wash set the tone there by rejecting their Big's first attempt. Little would come easy for them in a game that saw defensive effort endure.

- Also, effort was a big part of keeping them off the offensive glass --- everyone seemed to be going to the boards and shutting them off from loose balls

- The effort showed up on the other end with everyone running the floor with a purpose

- although it wasn't always pretty, we beat Enfield's 1-3-1 with INSIDE-OUT action that gave us the optimum rhythm-3 looks and we got off to a good start knocking those down to stake our early lead (for a change). Speaking of that, good to see Drake step into his 3 looks with confidence, and RJ looking more like himself on deep balls

- we got the "A" announcer crew, but on the bad side, the zebras were absolutely awful, starting with hideous invented calls on EC and JWash for their second early fouls, respectively, and ending with RJ taking a head-butt on what should've been an offensive foul, BUT the good news was WE got away with some mayhem of our own and thus got rewarded for being aggressive

- Finally, good to see Seth back and Withers may have played his best game, but there's still no good reason for Cade to have a DNP. Need to do better with that. Other than that though, The starting lineup feels right, with Seth as the super-sub as I alluded to previously.

Anyway, THAT is how you attack an attacking team --- with EFFORT on both ends. Let's bring that to Raleigh Saturday...

UNC 82, SMU 67
JANUARY 7, 2025
CHAPEL HILL

UNC Scoring Leader: RJ Davis 26
UNC Rebound Leader: Ian Jackson 7
UNC Assist Leader: RJ Davis 4
Team Records: UNC 10-6, 3-1 ACC; SMU 11-4, 2-2 ACC

• Carolina and SMU played an ACC game for the first time.
• The Tar Heels improve to 3-1 all-time vs. the Mustangs, including 2-0 in the Smith Center. This was the first meeting between the teams since 12/12/1987.
• The Tar Heels have won 22 straight games when holding opponents below 70 points.
• Carolina did not trail for the second time this season (Hawai’i) and led for 39:13, the most in any game this season.
• UNC is 8-0 this season when leading at the half.
• It was the second game in a row UNC led by double digits in the first half (led by as many as 17 in the first half).
• Carolina shot 53.8% in the second half, the seventh consecutive game the Tar Heels have shot 50% or better in the second half.

• It was the 15th time in 16 games UNC shot a higher percentage in the second half than the first.
• UNC held SMU to 33.3% from the floor, a season low for the Mustangs (previous low was 34.3% vs. Duke).
• The Tar Heels are 5-0 this season when holding an opponent below 40% from the floor.
• SMU shot 25% from the floor in the first half, its lowest percentage in any half this season (30.6% in first half vs. Washington State).
• It was the lowest percentage in the first half by a Tar Heel opponent this season (previous 31.4% by Campbell) and the second-lowest percentage in any half.
• UNC held SMU to 24 points in the first half, the fewest in the first half by an opponent this season (previous low was 25 by La Salle).

• Carolina made seven threes in the first half, one off its season high for threes in a half (eight in the first half vs. Elon).
• Carolina is 51-9 under Hubert Davis when it scores 80 or more points.
• The Tar Heels scored 39 points in the first half and 43 points in the second half, the 14th time in 16 games this season UNC has scored more points in the second half than the first.
• RJ Davis scored a game-high 26 points before leaving the game with a bloody nose. It was his 40th career 20-point game (UNC is 31-9 in those games) and the 18th time he has scored 25 or more (UNC 13-5).
• Davis led UNC with four assists and has 499 in his career. He is one assist from becoming the 13th Tar Heel with 500 assists.
• Drake Powell scored 17 points, the third time he has scored in double figures in the last in four games, and the fourth time this season.

• Powell’s 17 points were one off his season high of 18 against Michigan State. Powell made three 3FGs in the first half and four for the game. Powell’s three 3FGs in the first half were the most he’s made in a half this season. His four threes for the game tied his season-high, also against Michigan State.
• Powell made multiple three pointers for the fourth time this season. UNC is 3-1 when Powell makes multiple threes.
• Powell’s 14 first-half points were his most in a half this season (previous high was 10 against Michigan State in the first half and Louisville in the second half).
• Ian Jackson scored 18 points, reaching double figures for the sixth consecutive game and the 11th time this season.
• Jackson made three 3FGs, the fifth straight game he has made multiple threes. Jackson is the only Tar Heel to make at least one 3FG in every game.
• Jackson tied his season high with seven rebounds.
• Jalen Washington blocked four shots and has nine in the past two games. It is the most blocks in a two-game stretch by a Tar Heel since Armando Bacot had nine against Boston College and NC State in 2021-22.
• Seth Trimble played 26 minutes and had three assists after missing the previous three games due to an upper-body injury.

Next Game: at NC State, Saturday, January 11 (4 p.m., ACC Network)