CHAPEL HILL — The first-ranked UNC Tar Heels started their 2022-23 season with a win against the UNCW Seahawks in their home opener, 69-56. The Tar Heels junior backcourt duo of R.J. Davis and Caleb Love both finished the night with 17 pts between them. The Seahawks sophomore forward Trazarien White led his team with 19 pts and seven rebounds.
The first half started slow for the Tar Heels on offense and UNCW was able to keep the game close in the early stages of the game. Senior forward Leaky Black got a layup to go down and the Tar Heels began to pull away with five minutes left to play in the half. The Seahawks were sloppy in possession and turned the ball over in crucial situations. Davis got the final jumper of the half to take an 11-point UNC lead into the locker room.
UNCW played better in the second half but couldn’t crack the code to the Tar Heels’ defensive schemes. The Seahawks went 4-16 from behind the arc and shot 29.9 percent from the field.
UNCW fell to 0-6 in the head-to-head matchup against UNC, one of the traditional college basketball powerhouses. The Tar Heels were rapid on the defensive end all night but despite a comfortable 13-point victory, they went 2-10 behind the three-point line and were out-rebounded by the visitors. Senior center Armando Bacot had 9 rebounds to go with his 16-point performance to help UNC secure their first win of the season.
UNC head coach Hubert Davis told reporters after the game that he hopes their rustiness on the offensive end is just “first-game anxiousness and nerves.”
The Tar Heels didn’t get much production from their second unit if any at all. Freshman guard Seth Trimble led the bench in scoring with four pts and UNC had only four assists the entire game. That’s tied for the lowest total of assists in school history but the Tar Heels also held their opponent to only three assists which is the lowest for a UNC opponent since 1975.
Plenty to take away from the first game but evidence suggests that the Tar Heels have plenty of work to do if they want another shot at the national title.
The Seahawks’ next game will be a non-conference matchup against Allen on Friday for their season home opener.
The Tar Heels will go against the College of Charleston at home on Friday, which will surely be another tune-up game before traveling away to 18th-ranked Indiana in a couple of weeks.
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