These two teams promised us a fast-paced high scoring game and that’s exactly what we got. The North Carolina Tar Heels came out on top against the Florida State Seminoles 96-83. While North Carolina might have led most of the game, Florida State battled valiantly and put up a fight. The Seminoles were in it the entire game but just ran out of gas at the end. Joel Berry ll and Justin Jackson lit up the scoreboards from the 3-point line constantly. Dwayne Bacon and the Seminoles put in a strong effort but couldn’t compete in what was a highly contested ACC match-up.
1st Half
Star point guard Joel Berry ll made his mark hitting three deep 3-pointers and scoring 17 out of his 26 points. FSU decided to use some zone to disrupt the Tar Heels’ offense but it was to no avail. Berry’s 3-pointer at the end of the 1st half put the Tar Heels up comfortably with the score at 41-50. Florida State’s Dwayne Bacon added half of his 18 point total to keep the Seminoles in contention. The North Carolina Tar Heels dominated the glass showing why they’re 1st in the NCAA in total rebounds. They accumulated 10 offensive rebounds and 14-second chance points in what was the deciding factor for the half. Foul trouble cause UNC head coach Roy Williams to use small lineups including 5 wing players due to injury by forward Tony Bradley. Meanwhile, the Seminoles were in for a long game due to their bigs not being able to out-rebound UNC’s frontcourt.
2nd Half
Florida State Seminoles forward Jonathan Issac
After a demoralizing 3-pointer ended the 1st half on a good note for UNC, their good fortune continued. On the first possession, coach Roy Williams ran a nice set to get Justin Jackson space to drive for an open floater. As the game progressed, the Seminoles started to get a little rhythm. Freshman forward Jonathan Issac put up 11 of his 17 points to keep their deficit under double digits. Senior Jarquez Smith had all of his 7 points in the 2nd half and was a perfect 3-3 from the field. Sophomore Luke May was the surprise player of the game. When Tony Bradley is healthy May usually averages around 13 minutes a game but in this game, he played 25 minutes. Luke May lit up the box score notching 10 of his 15 total rebounds in the 2nd half. Theo Pinson also made his glaring return showing his play-making and all around skills. Pinson scored his first field goal of his short season in this game with a monstrous NBA-style dunk.
The Deciding Factor
North Carolina Tar Heels G/F Theo Pinson
With 5 minutes left, the Tar Heels had led the entire game but were only up by four points. There are a few stats that can be mentioned that explains why UNC went on a 14-2 run to put the game away. Joel Berry accredited the run to getting stops on defense and scoring easy buckets in transition. Isaiah Hicks said Theo Pinson was the spark needed to end Florida State’s run of 12 straight wins. All the credit should go to the overwhelming effort of the Tar Heels put on the glass. They ended with a 56-34 advantage in rebounds including 21 offensive boards. Those rebounds led to UNC finishing with 25 second-chance points. Also having 37 free throw attempts was their 2nd highest total of the season. Theo Pinson added 12 points, 10 rebounds, and three assists in his third game of the season. Justin Jackson and Isaiah Hicks also combined for 44 points, 11 rebounds, and 3 assists.
Up Next
The North Carolina Tar Heels can now build on this win for their upcoming match-up after reaching 16-3. They will have to defeat the well-coached Syracuse Orange team to notch their fifth straight win. Head coach, Roy Williams hopes to have impact forward Tony Bradley back for that ACC contest. Meanwhile, the Florida State Seminoles will have the tougher game following their heartbreaking loss. The Seminoles will have to face the 16-2 Notre Dame Fighting Irish who are an undefeated 5-0 in the ACC so far this year. Florida State will hope to end Notre Dame’s 7-game winning streak on January 18th. Meanwhile, the Tar Heels will face the Syracuse Orange at home on January 16th.
