UNC Basketball ends 2023 with big win and biscuits

The UNC basketball program ended the 2023 calendar year just the way they hoped they would: with a dominant victory.

On a night where North Carolina honored the late Eric Montross in their first home game since his passing, the Tar Heels put together a performance that Montross would have loved to have witnessed.

The UNC basketball program left little doubt, pulling away early in their final non-conference game of the 2023-2024 regular season. North Carolina will head into the new year (and conference play) with a 9-3 record after competing against a very tough non-conference slate.

RJ Davis was the story early and often in this one (are you even surprised at this point), as he scored double-figure points before the first media timeout occurred. The senior guard from White Plains, New York finished with another 20-point outing, but it was everything else that he did that stood out the most.

Davis became the first Tar Heel since Kendall Marshall to record a 20-point, 10-assist double-double, and became the first UNC basketball player ever to record a 20-point, 10-assist, five steal outing. You can't even say "well, look at his opponent," because Davis has been dominant even against some of the nation's top squads.

Jalen Washington caught fire immediately when he came off the bench, finishing with a career-high 17 points while connecting on seven of his 9 shot attempts. The sophomore big man also had seven rebounds and two blocks, as he knocked down two three-pointers and showed his ability to score both in the post and beyond the arc.

The Tar Heels had six players in double-figures, as Elliot Cadeau (13 points), Seth Trimble (12), Armando Bacot (12 points, 9 rebounds) and Harrison Ingram (10) joined the aforementioned duo of Davis and Washington in the double-digit points column.

North Carolina got steady production from a variety of players, including James Okonkwo, whose first basket as a member of the UNC basketball program put the Tar Heels over the 100-point mark on the night.

Tar Heel fans know what that means... BISCUITS!

There's a lot to like from this victory, especially heading into ACC play. The Tar Heels come out of a tough non-conference slate with a very good record, and hope that their success continues on through the start of the new year and beyond.

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