All Tar Heels

RJ Davis Breaks UNC Basketball Champ's Record 3-Point Streak

Parallels are stacking up between the 2023-24 UNC basketball team and the program's most recent national champions.

Matt Giles

Photo credit: Bob Donnan-USA TODAY Sports
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In his 100th career college start, UNC basketball senior RJ Davis powered the third-ranked Tar Heels (16-3, 8-0 ACC) to Monday night's 85-64 home win over unranked Wake Forest (13-6, 5-3 ACC). His career-high 36 points are the most by a Tar Heel in the Smith Center since Tyler Hansbrough's 39 against Clemson in February 2008.

And Davis became the first UNC bucket-getter to tally 30 or more points against Wake Forest since now-third-year Tar Heel head coach Hubert Davis finished with 30 in a February 1992 contest.

RJ Davis, now averaging 21.0 points per game and looking like the clear frontrunner for ACC Player of the Year, shot 14-for-23 from the field, 4-for-8 from deep, and 4-for-5 at the line. The 22-year-old guard added four rebounds and two assists without committing a single turnover across his team-high 37 minutes on the floor.

And his performance beyond the arc, where he's shooting a career-high 41.7 percent this season, marked his 16th straight outing with multiple 3-point makes. That's a new UNC basketball record, surpassing Justin Jackson's 15 in a row as a junior for the eventual 2016-17 national champions.

On that note, it seems fitting that Davis became the first Tar Heel to drop a 30-burger with zero turnovers since Jackson, again in his 2016-17 campaign, did so against Kentucky.

Moreover, note that North Carolina now boasts a nine-game winning streak, its longest since the 11 consecutive victories that began with the six NCAA Tournament wins in 2017 and carried over to the first five games of the following season.

NEXT UNC BASKETBALL GAME: at unranked Florida State (11-7, 5-2 ACC), 2 p.m. ET Saturday (ESPN)

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Matt Giles
MATT GILES

Matt Giles is the editor and publisher of North Carolina Tar Heels on SI, Duke Blue Devils on SI, and NC State Wolfpack on SI, making him a key source for comprehensive coverage of these storied college basketball programs. Since joining UNC on SI in 2023, Matt has been dedicated to providing in-depth analysis, breaking news, and exclusive content on all three teams. He covers everything from game previews and recaps to player profiles and recruiting updates. Matt's expert knowledge of these teams has made his work a go-to resource for fans and followers of Duke, NC State, and UNC. As publisher, he shapes the editorial direction, ensuring that the most relevant and timely information reaches his audience.

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