Five Double-Digit Scorers In 107-55 MBB Win Over American

Friday, November 15

Chapel Hill

8 PM

North Carolina

2-1,0-0ACC

107

American

1-3,0-0Patriot

American

North Carolina

107

Jalen Washington

Photo by: ANTHONY SORBELLINI

November 15, 2024 | Men's Basketball

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By: Matt Bowers

CHAPEL HILL, N.C.— Tenth-ranked North Carolina dominated the second half and cruised past American, 107-55, on Friday night in the Smith Center. The Tar Heels outscored the Eagles, 64-21, and shot 62.9 percent after halftime.

The 52-point win was UNC's largest margin of victory since beating UNC Asheville by 68 on November 30, 2008.

Carolina won its 19th consecutive home game against non-conference opponents, improving to 2-1 this season overall. The Eagles dropped their second decision in a row and fell to 1-3.

Jalen Washington scored a career-high 18 points for the Tar Heels, hitting all six of his field goal tries and 6 of 7 from the free throw line.

"I never worry about the points," Washington said. "My teammates did a good job of finding me. I did a good job of just rolling into the open spaces, running the floor and all that. We got a good outcome, so it feels good."

Elliot Cadeau scored 15 first-half points and finished with a season-high 18 while tying his career high with four steals and dishing out eight assists. He is the first Tar Heel with at least 12 points and seven assists in the first three games of a season since Ed Cota in 1999-2000.

"I think the biggest thing is his growth as a leader," Tar Heel head coach Hubert Davis said of Cadeau's first three games in 2024-25. "In the locker room, we were talking, and he talks now. Freshman year, he didn't say anything. This year, he's laughing, he's talking, he's communicating, he's encouraging and he's gotten off to a really good start."

Seth Trimble scored 13 and added six rebounds, continuing his hot start to the season. He's played confidently and scored in double figures in all three games.

Cade Tyson hit three second-half three-pointers and tallied 11 second-half points after going 0 for 3 from behind the arc in his first two games as a Tar Heel.

Freshman Drake Powell grabbed a game-high 11 rebounds, scored seven points and blocked three shots.

Carolina blistered the nets in the early portions of both halves. The Tar Heels hit nine of their first 11 shots of the game, then sank four of their initial five attempts after halftime on their way to shooting better than 50 percent in both halves and 59 percent overall.

UNC had 23 fast break points to AU's zero, outscored the Eagles in the paint, 56-16, and off turnovers, 22-6.

"We just knocked down more shots [in the second half]," Cadeau said. "We got all the shots we wanted to throughout the whole game, it was just a matter of knocking them down. I feel like it came together more towards the end."

UNC held American to 14.7 percent shooting in the second half, the lowest field goal percentage in a half by a Carolina opponent under Davis and the lowest in a half by any opponent since at least the 1997-98 season.

Former Tar Heel player and staff member Jackie Manuel, now an assistant coach under head coach Duane Simpkins at American, made his return to the Smith Center. Manuel played at Carolina from 2001-05, winning a national title in 2005, and served on Davis' staff for two seasons (2021-23).

How It Happened
First Half
• American led, 18-13, at the second media timeout despite UNC shooting 71.4 percent in the opening eight minutes. The Tar Heels committed five turnovers in the early going (but ultimately finished with only nine in the game).
• UNC hit 9 of its first 11 shots in the game and finished at 53.8 percent from the floor in the half.
• Cadeau had 15 points on 5 of 7 shooting with four assists in the opening 20 minutes.
• Carolina was 15 for 19 at the free throw line while American didn't attempt a free throw in the first half.
• The Eagles stayed in the game by hitting 6 of 14 first-half three-pointers. UNC was 0 for 6 from long range in the first period but led, 43-34, at the break.

Second Half
• Tyson hit his first three-pointer as a Tar Heel at the 12:43 mark of the second half. Trimble followed with Carolina's second three of the game under a minute later after UNC had missed its first 10 from behind the arc.
• Carolina hit seven second-half three-pointers after going 0 for 6 from downtown in the first half.
• UNC started the second half with a 27-11 run to build a 25-point lead midway through the period.

Notes
• Tar Heel freshmen James Brown and Ian Jackson were not in uniform for the game due to lower leg injuries. Their status going forward is day-to-day.
• Friday's game was the first-ever meeting between Carolina and American.

Up Next
The Tar Heels will play the first of four consecutive games in Hawaii next Friday night when they play at the University of Hawaii. Following that contest, Carolina will play in the Maui Invitational during Thanksgiving week, opening the holiday event with a game against Dayton on Monday November 25.