Takeaways from Tar Heels' first ACC win over Georgia Tech

Things to take note of from the Tar Heels' dominant 75-59 win over the Yellow Jackets.

After a four-game stretch of losing basketball, UNC won its first ACC match up of the season against Georgia Tech, 75-59. 

The Tar Heels went back and forth with the Yellow Jackets early on, struggling with making shots and taking care of the basketball. At the end of the first half, UNC went on an 11-0 run to go up by double digits at the break, and they never looked back for the rest of the game. 

UNC moves to 6-4 on the season, and here are some takeaways from Saturday's win.

Bacot looks healthy

In the Tar Heels' previous loss against Virginia Tech, senior center Armando Bacot did not see any action due to suffering an AC sprain in his shoulder. 

During the week leading up to Georgia Tech, Bacot practiced, and head coach Hubert Davis said he was headed in the right direction towards playing on Saturday. 

Shortly before tip-off, the 6-11 big man was announced as a starter after not playing since the loss at Indiana on Nov. 30. 

Bacot saw 34 minutes and looked unbothered by his shoulder against the Yellow Jackets as he didn't miss a step. 

He played like his usual self with 21 points and 13 rebounds. That was his 54th career double-double with points and rebounds. 

His presence was much needed for a struggling UNC team as Bacot took some pressure off the guards with his domination in the paint. 

All afternoon, the guards found him on the block for easy buckets at the rim which was missing against Virginia Tech. 

The Hokies outscored UNC in the paint 42-32, but UNC turned it around with a 36-22 advantage over the Yellow Jackets. 

Having the interior anchor back will be crucial for the Tar Heels who are looking to put some wins together and get the season back on track. 

RJ Davis is on a tear

Junior guard RJ Davis continued his career season against the Yellow Jackets, scoring a season-high 22 points and grabbing 10 rebounds. 

Davis only took two threes in this game, making one of them, and he was very efficient with his ability to drive down the lane for easy layups or free-throw opportunities. He also led the 11-0 run before halftime, being responsible for seven points from his own baskets and assists. 

He showed why he's at his best when he's aggressive as he helped cover for a struggling Caleb Love and picked up the slack in the rebounding game too. 

Davis snagged 10 rebounds for the second time this season, and he is the fourth leading rebounder on the team behind Leaky Black, Pete Nance, and Bacot. 

This season, he has been the Tar Heels' best offensive weapon so far. Davis has scored in double digits all 10 games, and he's at a career-high 16.1 points per game. 

Should this play continue from Davis, it'll be a huge help as UNC looks to build on this win. 

Seth Trimble's playmaking ability

Although he struggled from the field, shooting 1-5 on the day, freshman guard Seth Trimble played a very valuable 15 minutes. 

Before Trimble hit the court just over five minutes into the first half, Caleb Love couldn't get into an offensive rhythm with two turnovers and only two points. 

In fact, struggled throughout the entire first half, but Trimble filled in alongside Davis to keep the backcourt productive. 

Davis provided the scoring, and Trimble provided the playmaking. All afternoon, the 6-3 guard found created open looks for his teammates, including a full-court pass to Bacot in transition and a pretty bounce pass leading a cutting Davis past a defender and into a layup. 

Trimble finished the game with three assists. He's shown flashes of his ability to distribute throughout the season, which is a good sign for a team that needs to share the basketball more. 

Should Trimble improve on his own shot-making ability, he will make for an even better bench asset for the Tar Heels in the future. 

UNC will try for a two-game winning streak on Tuesday when they host The Citadel in Chapel Hill at 7 p.m.