UNC Basketball: Tar Heels beat Seminoles in Dean Dome

UNC gets a big early ACC win to move into second place in the conference

Talk about a statement game early on in the Atlantic Coast Conference.

The North Carolina Tar Heels pulled off a 96-83 win over No. 9 Florida State, which entered the game on a 12-game win streak. UNC’s effort now has them in second place in the ACC behind only Notre Dame who has started 5-0.

UNC got off to another hot start in this one, jumping out to a 7-0 lead. Senior forward Isaiah Hicks led the charge, recording 13 points in the first half.

Hicks finished with 22 on the game, tied with teammate Justin Jackson.

The Seminoles continued to cut into the Tar Heels lead, tying the score at 25 and taking a one point lead at 32-31.

Then UNC went on a run.

The Tar Heels closed out the first half with a 19-9 run, getting a big three-pointer from point guard Joel Berry with just 9 seconds left. They took a 50-41 lead into the break.

Much like the first half, both teams had a fast pace to their offense and went back-and-forth as they made runs.

They were also getting to the free throw line A LOT. It was just one of those games where the officials didn’t swallow the whistles. The two teams combined to commit 49 fouls in the game.

With UNC leading most of the second half, Florida State crawled back. But it was one moment that really got the Tar Heels going.

Theo Pinson’s electric dunk with just over five minutes left extended the Tar Heels lead to 6 and got the Dean Dome rocking.

It was Pinson’s first made field goal of the year and came at the right time. He later added a three-pointer as UNC closed out the game on a 14-5 run.

“A big-time game,” Roy Williams said via Andrew Carter. “The kind of game you like to be involved in”

Williams also joked that Pinson’s dunk reminded him of himself. The junior wing finished with 12 points, one of four Tar Heels in double figures.

In addition with Pinson, Jackson and Hicks all in double-digits, point guard Joel Berry finished a game-high 26 points.

UNC was able to matchup with the size of Florida State, which has given opponents fits all season long in the paint. But they were no match for the Tar Heels.

Sophomore forward Luke Maye played a huge role in UNC’s dominance dow low as he finished with 15 rebounds, a career-high. The Tar Heels out-rebounded FSU 56-34, including 21 of those on the offensive end.

The Tar Heels will have a quick turn around as they host Syracuse on Monday night in the Dean Dome as they look to get their fifth win in the ACC.

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