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I’m unable to reword, as it is a person’s name and title.

This location is Chapel Hill, North Carolina.

NC State was overwhelmed by North Carolina in the second half of a game held in Chapel Hill on Saturday. This showcased the depth and strong offense of the Tar Heels as they head into the most crucial part of the season.

The NC State team, who often finds themselves losing in this rivalry, struggled in the second half due to numerous missed shots and a lack of concentration.

No. 9 UNC’s 79-70 marked its nine win in its last 11 games against NC State and its second this season.

In the beginning of the second half, NC State seemed on track to secure a significant win in a less impressive season. A successful jump shot from Casey Morsell put NC State ahead 47-37 with 19:32 left in the game.

However, the Wolfpack was unable to make its next 15 field-goal attempts during the following 10 minutes of the game, allowing UNC to take control.

According to North Carolina State coach Kevin Keatts, there was a period of approximately two minutes where we lost control a bit. Our luck didn’t go our way and we failed to react effectively on offense and defense.

Although NC State had a poor shooting performance, they were only behind by two points at 54-52 with 11:26 left. However, UNC took control with a 12-1 run in the following 2:12 minutes, powered by seven successful free throws and topped off with a 3-pointer from Harrison Ingram.

In the first half, NC State had a 57.6% shooting percentage (19/33). However, in the second half, they only made 22.2% of their field goal attempts (6/27).

“According to NC State guard DJ Horne, we loosened our grip on the rope and our attention wavered a bit. Our emotions started to escalate and the opposing team had an advantage due to their ability to shoot free throws. Our focus slipped away in the midst of it all.”

Ingram scored a season-high of 22 points for the Tar Heels, marking only the second time he had led the team in scoring. He contributed 13 points in the first half to maintain the Tar Heels’ position.

“I do not believe they had a team on the court that was capable of guarding me,” stated Ingram, who scored 8 out of 14 shots.

Three other Tar Heels scored in double figures, including freshman guard Elliot Cadeau (15 points). UNC is 7-0 when he scores in double figures.

Participant Cadeau, with an average of 7.6 points per game, successfully made his way to the rim and scored against the taller opponents.

UNC coach Hubert Davis stated that although individuals can be singled out, the team as a whole is comprised of multiple components which contribute to our success. This is indicative of a strong and capable team.

NC State focused on stopping RJ Davis, the probable ACC player of the year, who scored 14 points.

“I am not always expected to be the top or main scorer,” stated Davis, who achieved a personal best and set a new record at Smith Center by scoring 42 points against Miami on Monday. “We have many players who are capable of making valuable contributions in various ways.”

Jayden Taylor led NC State with 22 points, including five 3-pointers (four of which came in the first half). However, Taylor and Horne (20 points) were the only Wolfpack players to score in double digits.

The team’s center, DJ Burns, accumulated six points in a short 17 minutes of playtime, but also received four fouls. Head coach Keatts believes his departure hindered the team’s ability to score inside and deprived the offense of a valuable playmaker. Morsell contributed nine points in 26 minutes before getting disqualified due to fouls.

According to Keatts, men may feel some frustration when their shots aren’t going in and I believe it may have affected us defensively.

UNC has secured a spot in the top two of the ACC standings with a 23-6 overall record and 15-3 record within the conference. They have upcoming games against Notre Dame and Duke.

On Monday night, the NC State team (17-12, 9-9) will be hosting Duke before finishing off their regular season with a game against Pittsburgh.

Keatts stated that our team could possibly be the sole team in the United States to have faced both Carolina and Duke on consecutive days, without it occurring during a tournament.

Source: wralsportsfan.com