UNC vs. Elizabeth City State: Gameday Live Blog

Heels open Hubert Davis era with exhibition

North Carolina will open the Hubert Davis era with an exhibition game against Elizabeth City State. 

The Tar Heels will take the floor for a public game against another team for the first time since Hubert Davis took over as head coach. Carolina plays its first game for real on Tuesday night. 

The game will give fans their first look at the new Tar Heels, including freshmen Dontrez Styles and D'Marco Dunn, as well as transfers Dawson Garcia, Justin McKoy and Brady Manek. 

New walk ons Rob Landry, a junior forward, and Jackson Watkins, also a junior, are also on the 2021-22 UNC roster. 

The team will also be giving its first glimpse of the new offense, which Davis promises will feature a heavier emphasis on the three-pointer. Carolina will also have a renewed emphasis on defending the three at the other end of the court. 

Your starters: Caleb Love, RJ Davis, Armando Bacot, Kerwin Walton and Dawson Garcia.

Preseason is new for everyone: Creighton Lebo led the team out of the locker room, then seemed unsure about which basket to head to for the layup line. 

Freshman D'Marco Dunn is the designated handshake guy for pregame intros. 

Hubert Davis & the staff still going with the pandemic casual sideline look. ECSU's coach has a suit, however. 

Garcia opens with a three. Despite the talk about Bacot playing more outside, he's been in the post on the first few possessions as UNC has gone with four out, one in. 

UNC up at the under 16, 11-6. Heels have forced 3 ECSU turnovers (they have none) and drawn four fouls already. 

Dean Dome PA announcer just told the upper deck fans that they could move downstairs to fill the lower bowl... with the caveat that if the acutal lower level seatholder shows up, they need to move & find a new seat.

Brady Manek and Justin McKoy enter after the time out. 

Garcia hits his second three of the night and Davis his first. Heels are 3-of-6 from deep. Half their shots have been from three. 

Not quite as good on the other end. ECSU is 4-of-8 from three. It's 20-14 at the under 12. 

Bacot blocks a hook shot out of bounds to take us to the under 8. UNC has extended the lead to 29-18 

UNC up 16-10 on the boards. 8-6 on their own missed shots and 8-4 on ECSU misses. 

Very tight rotation for Davis so far. Eight players have seen the floor. Neither freshman. 

ECSU just sent in a number of subs and tried to line up for the inbounds with five on the floor and a sixth inbounding. They rushed one guy to the bench before getting a technical. 

ECSU hanging around. At the under four, it's 36-28. 

ECSU hits at the buzzer to make it 43-32 at the half. UNC 4-of-12 from three, 8-of-18 from two. Outrebounded Elizabeth City 24-16, 11-10 on UNC misses, 13-6 on ECSU misses. 

Bacot leads all scorers with 12 on 5-of-6 shooting. He also is tied with Leaky Black for the rebounding lead, with five. Dawson Garcia & Brady Manek each have eight points. Caleb Love leads the way with four assists. 

Leaky Black replaces Walton to start the second half. 

8-0 run to start the second half and ECSU calls time. 16:04 left, 51-32. 

Anthony Harris makes his first appearance of the game, with 14:50 to go. UNC has now played nine guys. 

And ECSU finally scores in the second half, snapping a 15-0 UNC run over the first six minutes 

Armando Bacot for three on the other end. 

Some sloppiness at both ends as we hit the under 12. UNC now up 64-40

The two times all three grad transfers have been on the floor at once, UNC seems to have peaked. Manek in particular can do a bit of everything. 

At the under 8, it's 71-44 UNC

Both freshmen check in after the time out for their first action 

Walk ons finish off the 83-55 win