UNC Basketball: R.J. Davis explodes for career-game against Brown

R.J. Davis set the tone in the second half for the UNC basketball program, exploding for a career-high 26 points against Brown.

North Carolina sophomore guard R.J. Davis put on a sensational performance on Friday night, scorching the nets for a career-high 26 points en route to a 94-87 victory over the Ivy League’s Brown Bears.

Davis was the catalyst for a late second-half surge that helped North Carolina regain the lead and overtake the upstart Bears, who had led the Tar Heels for most of the game leading up to that point. He connected on 9-of-17 shots for the game and hit a career-best six three-pointers. He also pulled down two rebounds and had six assists to just one turnover.

Before Davis went wild in the second half, it was UNC junior center Armando Bacot that kept the Tar Heels within striking distance in the first half. That’s where he had the majority of his 22 points and 10 rebounds, converting an outstanding 10-for-11 shots from the floor for the game. Bacot added an assist, a steal and two blocks, and didn’t commit a single turnover. Brady Manek had 14 points and eight rebounds, and Caleb Love added 13 points and five assists.

North Carolina shot 51.6 percent for the game and 42.9 percent from beyond the arc. They shot slightly better at the free throw line than they did a game ago, hitting 75 percent of their 28 attempts. They turned the ball over just seven times in 40 minutes of play and outrebounded the Bears by nine.

Brown was led by sophomore guard Dan Friday, who had a team-high 21 points, five assists and four rebounds. Nana Owusu-Anane added 20 points for Brown to go along with a team-high eight rebounds. The Bears shot nearly 51 percent for the game and 36.8 percent from long-range. They went to the free throw line just nine times to the Tar Heels’ 28, converting six of their attempts.

The Tar Heels, now 2-0 on the young season, will begin preparing for a Tuesday night game at College of Charleston before a date with No. 7 Purdue next weekend.

Check back with Keeping It Heel for complete coverage of those games, and everything on the UNC basketball program.