Davis’ Perfect Shooting Leads UNC 95-68 Past San Diego State/ Newslooks/ WASHINGTON/ J. Mansour/ Morning Edition/ RJ Davis put on a shooting clinic, hitting six 3-pointers without a miss as No. 11 North Carolina dominated No. 11 San Diego State 95-68 in the First Four of the NCAA Tournament. The Tar Heels, criticized for their selection, silenced doubters by setting a program record for made threes in an NCAA Tournament game (14). UNC advances to face No. 6 Mississippi in the South Region on Friday.
North Carolina’s Statement Win: Quick Look
- RJ Davis scored 26 points and went 6-for-6 from three-point range.
- UNC hit a program-best 14 threes in an NCAA Tournament game.
- The Tar Heels shot 52.6% from the field and 58.3% from deep.
- Seth Trimble added 16 points as UNC led by 24 at halftime.
- San Diego State (21-10) struggled defensively, allowing its most points all season.
- UNC (23-13) moves on to play No. 6 Mississippi in Milwaukee on Friday.
Davis’ Perfect Shooting Leads UNC 95-68 Past San Diego State
Davis’ Hot Hand and UNC’s Redemption: Deep Look
Silencing the Doubters
After sneaking into the NCAA Tournament as a controversial selection, North Carolina played with a chip on its shoulder, dismantling San Diego State in emphatic fashion.
“We know we deserved to be here,” said junior guard Seth Trimble.
UNC’s blistering shooting performance was the highlight of the night, as the Tar Heels connected on 14 three-pointers, breaking their previous tournament record of 13 against Marquette in 2022.
Davis led the charge, tying Caleb Love’s UNC NCAA Tournament record with six made threes in a game. The senior guard’s perfect night from deep (6-for-6) was crucial in UNC’s explosive first half, where they built a 47-23 lead at the break.
Davis Delivers Again
“As a head coach, I don’t know what it looks like to exist without him on the sideline and on the floor, and I don’t want to think about it,” UNC coach Hubert Davis said of RJ Davis.
With six first-half threes, RJ Davis capped his dominant stretch with a deep shot before halftime, energizing the Tar Heels as they continued to pour it on in the second half.
San Diego State’s Defensive Collapse
The Aztecs entered the game leading the nation in field goal percentage defense, but they had no answer for North Carolina’s offense.
“We hang our hat on our defense, and we couldn’t get stops,” said SDSU coach Brian Dutcher.
The 95 points were the most San Diego State allowed all season, far surpassing the 80 they gave up to Gonzaga in November.
UNC shot 61% in the first half, 7-of-9 from three, and never let up.
“I know that we hit a record number of threes here, but made shots come and go,” Hubert Davis said. “The thing I was most proud of is we were getting steals and deflections. Our defense was real good.”
Preparing Despite Uncertainty
UNC was unsure of its tournament status leading up to Selection Sunday, but that didn’t stop the team from practicing ahead of time.
“Yeah, we practiced on Sunday, and then when we got here—because of flight delays—this was the only practice that we had,” Hubert Davis said.
Still, UNC looked sharp and focused, proving that they belonged in the tournament.
“This doesn’t surprise me,” Trimble said. “It’s what I expect every single night.”
With their First Four statement win, the Tar Heels now set their sights on No. 6 Mississippi, hoping to carry this momentum into the next round.
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