Last night, January 11th, UNC traveled to PNC Arena to take on NC State in a battle of 2 teams at the top of the ACC with 11-3 overall records. This game means a lot as it is a big in-state rivalry and the schools are only 22 miles apart. UNC won the game 67-54 in a game that was only a 2-point difference at halftime. UNC is now 37-6 in their last 43 matchups with NC State, as many fans are calling it not even a rivalry anymore. I asked Jr. Austin Conway if he believes this game is a rivalry, and he said, “That’s like calling a charity game a rivalry. Everyone knows this is just another game for UNC that can be written off as a win before the season starts.”
The Wolfpack did a good job containing RJ Davis holding him 5 points below his season average of 21 but he still was the game leader in points. UNC had big contributions from the Fr. Elliot Cadeau with 11 points and 6 assists and the Stanford transfer Harrison Ingram had 9 points and 19 rebounds. Armando Bacot was quiet on the offensive end but was able to be active on the defensive end and try to slow down DJ Burns. UNC will take on Syracuse on Saturday and look to expand its lead at the top of the ACC.
NC State was led by Casey Morsell with 12 points and DJ Burns had 11 points in the loss. Mohammed Diarra hit some clutch shots to allow the Wolfpack to hang around. UNC throttled DJ Horne as he went 2-16 from the field with only 6 points. NC State will travel to Louisville on Saturday to bounce back. Even in the loss, NC State showed that they are a good team in the ACC and their hot start has not been a fluke.
