Lucas: NC State Rapid Reactions

By Adam Lucas

1. Carolina got just what it needed, a blowout 97-73 win over NC State on a snowy night in Chapel Hill. Carolina had a whopping 52-26 edge in points in the paint.

2. The game was part of a unique environment created when the decision was made to open the doors to everyone within walking distance. As you'd expect, that created a very student-heavy crowd. Wednesday's game was the third time the Smith Center has been opened to everyone who could get there: the other occasions were 1994 against Maryland and 2000 against Maryland.

3. If you were there, then you know this is true: this is the new list of most incredible missed shots in 40 years of Smith Center history: 1. Vince Carter off the backboard alley-oop against Duke in 1998. 2. Cade Tyson missed corner three-pointer right before halftime against NC State in 2025.

4. In all seriousness, that was a fun night at the Smith Center. Carolina raced to a 54-26 halftime lead and did everything right while shooting 56 percent from the field in the half and creating tempo with a full-court trapping defense that led to a 13-3 lead in points off turnovers at the break. Carolina finished the game at 57.4 percent from the field and 40 percent from the three-point line. They are now 14-4 this season when making at least 30 percent of their three-point attempts.

5. Seth Trimble was a big part of creating that momentum with his play all over the court. Coming off the bench, Trimble finished with 15 points and seven rebounds and was part of a Tar Heel group of reserves that outscored State 43-26 in bench points.

6. Carolina again tweaked the starting lineup, this time going with two bigs (Jae'Lyn Withers and Ven-Allen Lubin) and Drake Powell at the three. Powell played both the three and the four in the game, and was extremely active on the offensive glass, where he corralled three offensive boards.

7. How good was Carolina's tempo? They were even running off made NC State shots. It happened in the first half, when Jayden Taylor sank a three-pointer and Ian Jackson immediately raced down to score at the other end before the Pack could ever set the defense. This was a Carolina team that had scored fewer than 75 points in six of the last eight games. They didn't look like that group on Wednesday.

8. RJ Davis led the Heels with 21 points on a relatively off night from the field, as he made just six of his 18 shots and one of eight from three-point range. Davis did make all eight of his free throws, which was part of a night when Carolina went 19-24 from the charity stripe. Coming into the evening, opponents had attempted more free throws than the Heels in eight of the last 13 games. Not tonight, as State shot just 16.

9. Don't forget about Ven-Allen Lubin, who had 13 points and five rebounds. The two-big lineup (Withers added eight points and four rebounds) looks like it is here to stay.

10. The Carolina women's soccer team got a well deserved big hand when they were honored during a second half timeout.

11. With the win, Carolina completes one of the most underrated streaks in Atlantic Coast Conference history: the Tar Heels are the only original league school to own at least one home-and-home sweep of an opponent in every season of league competition. With the changing scheduling policies, that's a streak with a short lifespan, but it's fun to enjoy while it still exists.

12. Some fun post-win numbers: Carolina is now 32-7 against State in the Smith Center, 40-7 against the Pack in the last 22 seasons and 168-81 all-time against NC State. Those 168 wins are the most by Carolina against any opponent in program history. Seven of the last ten games in the series in the Smith Center have been double-digit UNC wins. It's the 15th time in the last 21 years the Tar Heels have won both regular season meetings with the Wolfpack.

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University of North Carolina Athletics

Players Mentioned

RJ Davis

Ian Jackson

Ven-Allen Lubin

Drake Powell

Seth Trimble

Cade Tyson

Jae'Lyn Withers

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