UNC Basketball: Tar Heels win behind 25 points from Day’Ron Sharpe

UNC basketball ends losing streak at two games, tops Notre Dame 66-65 in Chapel Hill

Freshman center Day’Ron Sharpe scored a career-high 25 points to go along with nine rebounds as North Carolina beat Notre Dame 66-65 in Chapel Hill on Saturday. Sharpe hit 9-of-19 shots for the game, and 7-of-9 at the free throw line in a game that truly showcased the kind of ability that made him a 5-star prospect and McDonald’s All-American in high school.

Sharpe and the Tar Heels were aided by freshman shooting guard Kerwin Walton, who had arguably his best overall collegiate game to date. Walton scored 12 points on 4-of-8 shooting from beyond the arc, while dishing out three assists to just one turnover, despite getting the start and playing big minutes against the Irish.

Junior guard/forward Leaky Black scored eight points on a 3-for-7 shooting performance — including the game-winner with just nine seconds remaining in regulation — and recorded four rebounds and three assists in one of his best overall performances of the season. Six other Tar Heels got into the scoring column on Saturday, but none more than five points (Love, Brooks).

As a team, the Tar Heels shot just 34.8 percent from the floor, and (coincidentally) 34.8 percent from beyond the arc. They had one of their best free-throw shooting performances to date, hitting 10-of-14 from the line. They outrebounded Notre Dame by 21, including a 21-3 mark on the offensive boards. Maybe more importantly than all of that, North Carolina committed just eight turnovers on the game — they entered the game averaging more than 16 per game over their first nine.

Nate Laszewski scored a team-high 25 points on a terrific shooting performance that included a 7-for-11 performance from three-point range. The Irish got 14 points out of junior guard Prentiss Hubb, who hit all seven of his shots from inside the arc, but missed all five of his attempts from long-range.

The Irish shot better than 47 percent for the game, and hit 11 three-pointers as a team, but allowed far too many offensive rebounds and second-chance points to the Tar Heels to come away with the win. They fall to 3-6 overall, and 0-3 in conference play.

North Carolina improves to 6-4 on the season, and 1-2 in the Atlantic Coast Conference. They now prepare for a January 5 game against the 4-4 Miami Hurricanes in Coral Gables.

Check back with Keeping It Heel for all the latest on the UNC basketball program.