No. 10 Alabama Drops Tar Heels, 94-79

Wednesday, December 4

Chapel Hill

7:15 PM

North Carolina

Alabama

Ian Jackson

Photo by: Jeffrey A. Camarati

December 4, 2024 | Men's Basketball

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By: Matt Bowers

CHAPEL HILL, N.C.— Tenth-ranked Alabama posted six double-figure scorers and topped No. 20 North Carolina, 94-79, on Wednesday night at the Smith Center in the ACC-SEC Challenge.

The Tar Heels hit just 5 of 28 three-point attempts as a team (17.9 percent), while Alabama hit 12 of 33 from behind the arc.

The Crimson Tide essentially led from start to finish, improving to 7-2 in 2024-25. Carolina lost its third in a row to fall to 4-4. Alabama has beaten UNC three times in a row, once in each of the last three seasons.

Mark Sears led Alabama with 20 points, while Labaron Philon and Aden Holloway scored 15 each. Holloway hit five three-pointers.

Freshman Ian Jackson scored a season-high 23 points for the Tar Heels, hitting 10 of 17 shots, including three of five three-pointers. He is the first Tar Heel non-starter to score at least 20 in a game since Walker Kessler versus Florida State on February 27, 2021. His 23 points are the most by a UNC freshman since Caleb Love had 25 points against Duke on February 6, 2021.

RJ Davis scored 18 but shot 7 for 24 from the floor, including 1 for 11 from three-point range. He is 1 for 20 from behind the arc in his last two games against Alabama. Seth Trimble added 12 points despite 4 of 13 shooting.

UNC starters shot 15 for 51 from the floor collectively (29.4 percent). The Tar Heels' 19-game winning streak in the Smith Center against non-conference opponents came to an end.

"I didn't think we played well enough to win tonight, and we didn't do things consistently to put ourselves in a position to win a game like this," said Tar Heel head coach Hubert Davis. "When things don't work our way, there are two choices: you can stay down and whine and complain, or you can get your tail back up and step forward and start swinging."

The Crimson Tide led for almost all of the first half, building a double-digit lead and staying ahead by eight or more for most of the last nine minutes until halftime. Carolina shot just 2 for 13 from three-point range while Alabama hit seven first-half threes.

Alabama used a 9-0 run in the first three-plus minutes after the break to take a 14-point lead and force a Tar Heel timeout. The lead grew to as many as 18 later in the half.

"The level of intensity and attention to detail have to be there on every possession," Hubert Davis said of his team. "And the rotations and subs throughout the game were to try to have a fresh energized group out there on the floor that could execute that. I can talk Xs and Os, but you can't get there until you bring that sustained energy."

How It Happened
First Half
• Alabama built a double-digit lead by midway through the half, marking the fourth game in a row the Tar Heels have faced a deficit of at least 10 points. UNC pulled to within five late in the half before the Crimson Tide led, 43-34, at the break.
• Holloway led Alabama with 12 points with Sears adding 11 in the first 20 minutes.
• The Tide hit seven first-half three-pointers while Carolina was 2 for 13 from behind the arc (15.4 percent).
• Overall, the Tar Heels shot 36.1 percent from the floor as a team.
• Jackson led UNC with 11 first-half points, including two breakaway dunks. Davis had 10 points but hit just 1 of 5 three-pointers.

Second Half
• Alabama went on a 9-0 run in 1:41 early in the second half to up its lead to 52-38, its biggest of the game at that point.
• The Tide had expanded its lead to 67-50 by the second media timeout of the half.
• UNC's shooting woes continued in the second half, as it went 3 for 15 from three-point range.

Notes
• UNC is now 43-28 all-time in the Smith Center against top-10 opponents
• Carolina is 479-88 overall in the Smith Center, including 230-19 against non-conference foes.
• The Tar Heels saw their 19-game home winning streak against non-ACC teams come to an end.
• Drake Powell made his first career start on the night for the Tar Heels, tallying six points and three rebounds.
• The 15-point loss was Carolina's largest margin of defeat in the Smith Center since losing by 20 to Duke on February 5, 2022.
• Carolina posted its lowest three-point percentage (17.9 percent) since shooting 8.7 percent against Notre Dame on February 22, 2023.

Up Next
The Tar Heels will play the second of three consecutive home games when they play their ACC opener against Georgia Tech on Saturday December 7 at 2 p.m.