Jan 15, 2022; Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA; Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets guard Deivon Smith (5) is foiuled by North Carolina Tar Heels guard Caleb Love (2) while scoring a basket in the first half at Dean E. Smith Center. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-USA TODAY Sports
Armando Bacot and R.J. Davis led the way as host North Carolina put four players in double figures in coasting past Georgia Tech 88-65 in Atlantic Coast Conference play Saturday night in Chapel Hill, N.C.
Bacot posted his seventh consecutive double-double with 29 points — matching the junior’s career-high set just last week against Virginia — and 12 rebounds. It was his 12th double-double of the season and 30th of his career.
Davis scored 21 points on 8-of-11 shooting. Caleb Love added 14 points and Brady Manek 11 for the Tar Heels (12-4, 4-1 ACC), who doubled a 16-point halftime lead to 74-42 midway through the second half.
Jordan Usher led the Yellow Jackets (7-9, 1-5) with 22 points as Michael Devoe, their leading scorer with a 20.5 average, scored only two points on a basket with 13:04 remaining. Deivon Smith scored 16 for Tech.
With Tech going with a small lineup for a second straight outing, the Tar Heels dominated inside, winning the rebounding 42-26 and outscoring the Jackets in the paint 38-26. The Jackets didn’t have a single offensive rebound in the first half and finished the game with just four. North Carolina had 11 offensive boards.
Davis and Bacot combined for 25 of their points in the first half that ended with the Tar Heels in front 42-26. The Heels jumped in front 10-2 and got their first double-digit lead at 26-16 on Love’s 3-pointer with 8:36 left in the period.
The Jackets got that down to 26-21 with the help of a flagrant 1 personal foul against Love. But the Heels responded and owned their biggest lead of the first half at 42-24 as the Jackets made only one of their last eight shots.
Usher’s 14 points and Smith with 10 accounted for all but two of Tech’s total for the first half.
–Field Level Media