Tar Heels Take Over The Watsco Center, Handing Miami Their 9th Loss Of The Season 75-72
North Carolina didn't show out on just the court, as their fans traveled down to watch their Tar Heels beat down on the Hurricanes.
Star senior RJ Davis led the way with 25 points as North Carolina dominated the second half en route to their 19th win of the season 75-72. Freshman guard Elliot Cadeau had one of his better games of the season, as he added 19 points and eight assists.
After a tough loss to Clemson earlier this week, the Tar Heels bounced back as nearly a fourth of the crowd was in Carolina blue at the Watsco Center.
For the Hurricanes, everything was great until the second half. Nijel Pack had 18 points in the first half and Norchad Omier had 16, as they entered the half up one point. Carolina made sure to zone in on them in the second half, as both had a limited impact in the second stanza.
However, the problem for Miami was its lack of scoring help outside Omier and Pack. Wooga Poplar couldn't get his shot to fall all game, walking away with just 13 points. Poplar, Omier, and Pack were the only players to score in double figures.
Miami wasn't helped by the fact that Kyshawn George missed the game after warming up and dealing with an ankle injury. Just as a freshman, George's impact has been tremendous this season as he'll have the decision on whether or not to declare for the 2024 NBA Draft this offseason.
In terms of what this means for Miami's season, it's now become too late to build a resume that could get them an at-large NCAA Tournament bid. With that being said, Miami's hope lies in the ACC Tournament, where if they can win they'll make it back to March Madness for the third season in a row.
Miami's next game comes Wednesday as they'll head up to face a Clemson team that is looking to round out their NCAA Tournament resume.
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