The UNC basketball program did what it needed to do.
North Carolina, who has had the tendency to play down to their opponents this season, dominated Miami on Saturday, 92-73, in the Dean Smith Center. They outrebounded Miami 38-26. They led the game in assists and points in the paint. They trailed for just 1:16.
Against the worst team in the ACC, the Tar Heels did not play around. They took care of business.
Head coach Hubert Davis rolled out the same lineup that has been working over the last three games. And on Saturday, it found similar success.
The starters combined for 33 of the team's 46 points in the first half. Jae'Lyn Withers led the way, continuing his hot stretch with nine first-half points. He ended the night with a double-double.
It was far from a perfect first 20 minutes. The Tar Heels turned the ball over five times. They struggled on the defensive end. They went on a nearly four-minute-long field goal drought.
But back-to-back 3s from Seth Trimble rejuvenated both sides of the ball for UNC, leading to a 12-2 run. A transition 3 from RJ Davis in the waning seconds put a cap on the half to give his team a 46-31 advantage at the break.
The final 20 was more of the same for UNC.
The lead hovered around 20 points for much of the second half. Miami, which ranks last in the ACC in scoring defense and opponent field goal percentage, had no answers for UNC defensively. Anytime the Hurricanes gained momentum on offense, the Tar Heels would answer right back.
In total, six different players scored in double digits. The Tar Heels shot over 50% from 3 and shot 24 free throws. It was an offensive clinic all night. And as a result, it was another sweat-free victory for UNC.
The Tar Heels will travel to Blacksburg, VA on Tuesday for their final true road game of the season against Virginia Tech.