University of North Carolina Athletics
Saturday, March 2
Chapel Hill
4 PM
North Carolina
23-6,15-3ACC
79
vs
70
NC State
17-12,9-9ACC
1
2
F
NC State
45
25
70
North Carolina
37
42
79
Harrison Ingram
Photo by: ANTHONY SORBELLINI
Ingram & Cadeau Lead Heels Past NCSU, 79-70
March 2, 2024 | Men's Basketball
CHAPEL HILL, N.C.—Ninth-ranked North Carolina clamped down defensively, ripped off a 29-8 run to start the second half and won its fourth game in a row, topping NC State, 79-70, on Saturday afternoon in the Smith Center.
Harrison Ingram hit 8 of 14 shots and poured in a season-high 22 points for the Tar Heels. Elliot Cadeau added 15 points, four rebounds and seven assists in one of the better all-around games of his freshman season. RJ Davis had 14 points, seven rebounds and five assists.
The Wolfpack roared out of the locker room, shooting 57.6 percent from the floor in the first half, including 7 for 11 from three-point range (63.6 percent). State's 45 points were the most in a first half by a UNC opponent this season. Jayden Taylor led State with 22 points with DJ Horne adding 20.
It was a different story after halftime, when the Tar Heel defense stifled State into missing 15 of its first 16 shots in the second half. NCSU shot just 6 for 27 after the break (22.2 percent), the lowest percentage by a UNC opponent in the second half all season, and 2 for 8 from behind the arc.
Carolina (23-6, 15-3 Atlantic Coast Conference) blitzed State in the second half, outscoring the Pack by 17 points in the final 20 minutes. The Wolfpack lost for the fifth time in seven games and fell to 17-12, 9-9. The Tar Heels overcame a 10-point, second-half deficit.
"Always for this year, it has always been the defense that fuels offense," said UNC head coach Hubert Davis. "We stepped up in the second half. NC State in the first half was shooting 60 percent from the field. They're running their offense like they do in shootaround and getting wide open shots. Something we had talked about before the game is being competitive on the ball, whether it's a one-on-one situation or an open ball screen in the post. In the second half we stepped up and I felt like we were making them work hard to get a shot. I was really happy with how the guys responded in the second half."
The Tar Heels tightened their grip on first place in the ACC standings with two games to play. Carolina needs a win in one of its two remaining contests to clinch the outright ACC regular season title. Second-place Duke (14-4) beat third-place Virginia (12-7) in Durham on Saturday evening.
"We have so many guys that can step up, and I think that really showed today just how versatile our team is," said Armando Bacot, who had 13 points and seven rebounds despite a 4-for-12 shooting day. "Look at me and RJ. I shoot 4 for 12 and RJ shoots 4 for 11, but we've got guys like Harrison stepping up and Elliot playing a big role. It just shows how good of a team we really are."
Cadeau scored in double figures for the seventh time this season, and the Tar Heels are 7-0 in those games. He had a game-high seven assists, the fifth time in the last six games he had five or more.
"I think I've grown pretty much in every aspect," said Cadeau. "I think I'm a lot more comfortable out there, and my role is more defined. I've learned how to play within this system, and I just feel more comfortable."
Carolina improved to 166-80 all-time against NC State. The 166 wins break a tie with Wake Forest for the most wins by UNC against any opponent. The Tar Heels are 82-23 against the Wolfpack in Chapel Hill, including 31-7 with six consecutive wins in the Smith Center. Carolina is 38-6 in the last 44 games in the series and 55-13 over the last 32 seasons against NC State.
"I thought we got the best of them in the first half, but obviously they did a really good job in the second half of getting the best of us," said NCSU head coach Kevin Keatts.
How It Happened
First Half
• Both teams shot well in the first half. The Wolfpack was 19 for 33 (57.6 percent) and Carolina was 13 for 24 (54.2 percent).
• NC State led, 45-37, at the break. It was the second-largest halftime deficit of the season for UNC behind a nine-point deficit against Clemson in Chapel Hill.
• NCSU hit 7 of 11 three-pointers in the first half (63.6 percent, a season high by any UNC opponent in a half this season).
• Horne scored 16 first-half points for the Wolfpack.
• Ingram hit all five of his first-half field goal tries and had 13 points by the break.
• RJ Davis was 1 for 4 from the floor in the first half for two points.
• It was the second time this season UNC has shot 50% or better in a first half and faced a halftime deficit (also against UConn).
Second Half
• After the Pack scored the first bucket of the second half, Carolina went on a 7-0 run to cut its deficit to three at 47-44.
• UNC outscored NCSU, 29-8, in the first 11 minutes of the half.
• The Wolfpack hit its first FG try of the second half then missed 15 in a row, failing to connect on its second basket of the half until after more than 13 minutes of game action had elapsed (the 8:50 mark).
• State is the first UNC opponent to miss 15 shots in a row since Pittsburgh did it on January 5, 2019.
• NCSU shot 22.2 percent from the floor in the second half (6 for 27).
Postgame Tidbits & Notes
• UNC beat the Wolfpack, 67-54, on January 10 in Raleigh and swept the season series with NCSU.
• The Tar Heels are 13-1 at home this season and 40-6 in the Smith Center in three seasons under head coach Hubert Davis.
• Armando Bacot played in his 161st career game, tying Virginia's Kihei Clark for the all-time ACC record.
• RJ Davis tallied his 400th career assist in the opening minutes, becoming the first player in UNC history to compile 1,800 points, 200 three-pointers, 500 rebounds and 400 assists in a career.
• Davis has 26 games in a row with double figures in points and 34 straight making at least one three-pointer.
• It was Davis' ninth time this season and 32nd in his career with five or more assists. UNC is 8-1 and 27-5, respectively, when Davis has five or more assists.
• Davis has 1,926 points. He passed Brad Daugherty (1,912) for 10th all-time in scoring at UNC.
• UNC was 23 for 27 from the free throw line as a team (85.2 percent). NCSU was 11 for 16.
• Carolina is 7-0 when Cadeau scores in double figures.
• Cadeau has five or more assists in five of the last six games.
• Former Tar Heels attending Saturday's game included Antawn Jamison, George Lynch, Isaiah Hicks, Dave Hanners, Dante Calabria, Phil Ford, Bobby Jones, Shammond Williams, Brian Reese, Mike Copeland and Marcus Ginyard.
Up Next
Carolina will play its final home game of the 2023-24 regular season on Tuesday March 5 when it hosts Notre Dame on senior night.
Follow Tar Heel basketball on X at @UNC_Basketball and @UNCMBBstats and on Instagram at UNC_Basketball.
Harrison Ingram hit 8 of 14 shots and poured in a season-high 22 points for the Tar Heels. Elliot Cadeau added 15 points, four rebounds and seven assists in one of the better all-around games of his freshman season. RJ Davis had 14 points, seven rebounds and five assists.
The Wolfpack roared out of the locker room, shooting 57.6 percent from the floor in the first half, including 7 for 11 from three-point range (63.6 percent). State's 45 points were the most in a first half by a UNC opponent this season. Jayden Taylor led State with 22 points with DJ Horne adding 20.
It was a different story after halftime, when the Tar Heel defense stifled State into missing 15 of its first 16 shots in the second half. NCSU shot just 6 for 27 after the break (22.2 percent), the lowest percentage by a UNC opponent in the second half all season, and 2 for 8 from behind the arc.
Carolina (23-6, 15-3 Atlantic Coast Conference) blitzed State in the second half, outscoring the Pack by 17 points in the final 20 minutes. The Wolfpack lost for the fifth time in seven games and fell to 17-12, 9-9. The Tar Heels overcame a 10-point, second-half deficit.
"Always for this year, it has always been the defense that fuels offense," said UNC head coach Hubert Davis. "We stepped up in the second half. NC State in the first half was shooting 60 percent from the field. They're running their offense like they do in shootaround and getting wide open shots. Something we had talked about before the game is being competitive on the ball, whether it's a one-on-one situation or an open ball screen in the post. In the second half we stepped up and I felt like we were making them work hard to get a shot. I was really happy with how the guys responded in the second half."
The Tar Heels tightened their grip on first place in the ACC standings with two games to play. Carolina needs a win in one of its two remaining contests to clinch the outright ACC regular season title. Second-place Duke (14-4) beat third-place Virginia (12-7) in Durham on Saturday evening.
"We have so many guys that can step up, and I think that really showed today just how versatile our team is," said Armando Bacot, who had 13 points and seven rebounds despite a 4-for-12 shooting day. "Look at me and RJ. I shoot 4 for 12 and RJ shoots 4 for 11, but we've got guys like Harrison stepping up and Elliot playing a big role. It just shows how good of a team we really are."
Cadeau scored in double figures for the seventh time this season, and the Tar Heels are 7-0 in those games. He had a game-high seven assists, the fifth time in the last six games he had five or more.
"I think I've grown pretty much in every aspect," said Cadeau. "I think I'm a lot more comfortable out there, and my role is more defined. I've learned how to play within this system, and I just feel more comfortable."
Carolina improved to 166-80 all-time against NC State. The 166 wins break a tie with Wake Forest for the most wins by UNC against any opponent. The Tar Heels are 82-23 against the Wolfpack in Chapel Hill, including 31-7 with six consecutive wins in the Smith Center. Carolina is 38-6 in the last 44 games in the series and 55-13 over the last 32 seasons against NC State.
"I thought we got the best of them in the first half, but obviously they did a really good job in the second half of getting the best of us," said NCSU head coach Kevin Keatts.
How It Happened
First Half
• Both teams shot well in the first half. The Wolfpack was 19 for 33 (57.6 percent) and Carolina was 13 for 24 (54.2 percent).
• NC State led, 45-37, at the break. It was the second-largest halftime deficit of the season for UNC behind a nine-point deficit against Clemson in Chapel Hill.
• NCSU hit 7 of 11 three-pointers in the first half (63.6 percent, a season high by any UNC opponent in a half this season).
• Horne scored 16 first-half points for the Wolfpack.
• Ingram hit all five of his first-half field goal tries and had 13 points by the break.
• RJ Davis was 1 for 4 from the floor in the first half for two points.
• It was the second time this season UNC has shot 50% or better in a first half and faced a halftime deficit (also against UConn).
Second Half
• After the Pack scored the first bucket of the second half, Carolina went on a 7-0 run to cut its deficit to three at 47-44.
• UNC outscored NCSU, 29-8, in the first 11 minutes of the half.
• The Wolfpack hit its first FG try of the second half then missed 15 in a row, failing to connect on its second basket of the half until after more than 13 minutes of game action had elapsed (the 8:50 mark).
• State is the first UNC opponent to miss 15 shots in a row since Pittsburgh did it on January 5, 2019.
• NCSU shot 22.2 percent from the floor in the second half (6 for 27).
Postgame Tidbits & Notes
• UNC beat the Wolfpack, 67-54, on January 10 in Raleigh and swept the season series with NCSU.
• The Tar Heels are 13-1 at home this season and 40-6 in the Smith Center in three seasons under head coach Hubert Davis.
• Armando Bacot played in his 161st career game, tying Virginia's Kihei Clark for the all-time ACC record.
• RJ Davis tallied his 400th career assist in the opening minutes, becoming the first player in UNC history to compile 1,800 points, 200 three-pointers, 500 rebounds and 400 assists in a career.
• Davis has 26 games in a row with double figures in points and 34 straight making at least one three-pointer.
• It was Davis' ninth time this season and 32nd in his career with five or more assists. UNC is 8-1 and 27-5, respectively, when Davis has five or more assists.
• Davis has 1,926 points. He passed Brad Daugherty (1,912) for 10th all-time in scoring at UNC.
• UNC was 23 for 27 from the free throw line as a team (85.2 percent). NCSU was 11 for 16.
• Carolina is 7-0 when Cadeau scores in double figures.
• Cadeau has five or more assists in five of the last six games.
• Former Tar Heels attending Saturday's game included Antawn Jamison, George Lynch, Isaiah Hicks, Dave Hanners, Dante Calabria, Phil Ford, Bobby Jones, Shammond Williams, Brian Reese, Mike Copeland and Marcus Ginyard.
Up Next
Carolina will play its final home game of the 2023-24 regular season on Tuesday March 5 when it hosts Notre Dame on senior night.
Follow Tar Heel basketball on X at @UNC_Basketball and @UNCMBBstats and on Instagram at UNC_Basketball.
Team Stats
NCSU
UNC
FG%
.417
.472
3FG%
.474
.375
FT%
.688
.852
RB
31
34
TO
9
8
STL
3
4
Game Leaders
Pts
22
FGM
8
3FGM
2
FTM
4
Pts
15
FGM
5
3FGM
1
FTM
4
Pts
13
FGM
4
3FGM
0
FTM
5
Players Mentioned
F/C
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