UNC Basketball ends four-game skid with win over Georgia Tech

The UNC basketball program ended its four-game losing streak, as they defeated Georgia Tech at the Dean Smith Center on Saturday afternoon.

It feels really good to be back in the win column!

In their first home ACC contest of the season, the UNC basketball program ended a four-game skid by defeating Georgia Tech. The Tar Heels currently remain unbeaten at the Dean Smith Center this season.

The turning point of this game came near the end of the first half, as reserve guard Seth Trimble stepped up in a huge way. With Caleb Love on the bench, Trimble helped guide the Tar Heels to an 11-0 run to cap off the first 20 minutes of play, giving North Carolina a 13-point advantage heading into the locker room.

Georgia Tech tried to creep back into the game throughout the second half, but North Carolina did more than enough to hold them at bay.

What changed from the Tar Heels’ most recent losing streak?

Well, for starters, the overall ball movement was much better in this one.

The UNC basketball program had 15 assists on 27 made field goals, which is definitely an improvement from what we’ve seen. In this game, the Tar Heels passed the ball more often, as they elected to make the extra pass instead of settling for a forced shot attempt.

Staying out of foul trouble helped as well, as RJ Davis was the only Tar Heel with three fouls.

Additionally, coming in, it was expected that the Tar Heels would have a major rebounding advantage over the Yellow Jackets. The return of senior big man Armando Bacot certainly helped that cause, as North Carolina outrebounded Georgia Tech 43-22.

The Tar Heels did not shoot the ball well from three-point land (a common trend so far this season), but they made up for it by knocking down open shots that were created on fast break opportunities as well as good ball movement in the half-court setting.

After missing the Tar Heels’ road contest against Virginia Tech, Bacot returned in a big way. He recorded yet another double-double, scoring 21 points while hauling in 13 boards. Junior guard RJ Davis also recorded a double-double, as he led all scorers with 22 points while recording 10 rebounds.

North Carolina’s bench provided some very good minutes, but no player stood out more than Seth Trimble. The freshman made just one of his five shot attempts, but did a little of everything, as he recorded four points, three assists, two rebounds, and a steal. He was vital in the aforementioned run at the end of the first half, as that really helped set the tone for the remainder of the game.

Freshman Jalen Washington made his anticipated Tar Heels debut, as he checked in with just over two minutes left to play. After missing the first nine games as he rehabbed from injury, Washington made his lone shot attempt in his UNC basketball debut.

This was a very nice bounceback victory for the UNC basketball program, as they look to build some momentum over the next couple of weeks. They’ll look to add another win on Tuesday night, as they host The Citadel for a non-conference battle at the Dean Smith Center.

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