Since the announcement of the NCAA Championship stand, North Carolina’s tar heels have caught a lot of rebound as many people think they should be excluded from 68 teams making “dance.”
Perhaps these haters are silent now.
The Tar Heels demolished the San Diego Aztecs in the “First Four” showdown Tuesday night on 95-68 to earn the No. 11 seed in the Southern Region. UNC will move to No. 6 Ole Miss in the first round of Friday.
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San Diego Aztec defender Wayne McKinney III (3) played the ball defended by North Carolina tar tar Heels guard RJ Davis (4) in the first half in the first half in UD Arena. (Rick Osentoski Imagn image)
UNC is the last team to earn a spot in the tournament and they still have to play with one of the best defenders in college basketball games in Dayton, Ohio. The Aztecs of head coach Brian Dutcher may suffocate at that end, but on Tuesday night the tar heels didn’t make it look that way.
They exploded in the first half, with the team shooting 60.9% (14-23), two of the nine 3-pointers in the process. They also scored 12 of 12 out of 12 from the Charity Stripe for 47 points, and RJ Davis’ three-pointer topped off when the buzzer rang out halftime.
The NCAA Championship bid in North Carolina led to social media opposition: “How did this even happen?”
Meanwhile, the Aztecs struggled offensively, accompanying their defensive flaws, hitting only 26.7% in the first half while exceeding 16 shots from the arc. They finished halfway with a 23-point deficit, and they couldn’t get back.
The second half also took UNC’s path, surpassing the Aztecs with a 48-45 record to win.
North Carolina’s tar heels forward Jae’lyn Withers (24) took the rebounds from San Diego Aztec forward Pharaoh Compton (5) in the first half at UD Arena. (Rick Osentoski Imagn image)
As a team, the tar heels hit 52.6% and two-thirds (14-24) hit 58.3% while at the free throw line, it was delivered with 21 shots.
Davis was the top scorer of the game, scoring 26 points on 8-of-12 shots, including a perfect 6-6 for the 3-pointer. He also has two assists.
Jae’lyn Withers also won double-digit for UNC, with a total of 10 rebounds and 10 points, while Seth Trimble scored 16 points on 5-for-10 shooting percentage. Ven-Allen Lubin also has 12, 8 of which come from the free throw line.
North Carolina Tar Heels guard Elliot Cadeau (3) reacted to the San Diego Aztecs at UD Arena in the first half. (Rick Osentoski Imagn image)
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As for the Aztecs, they scored 39.7% of the field, which will be completed in March.
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