RJ Davis and his North Carolina teammates certainly looked as though they belonged in the NCAA Tournament on Tuesday night.Davis scored 26 points and shot 6 of
North Carolina 's Elliot Cadeau celebrates with teammate Jae'Lyn Withers during the first half of a First Four college basketball game against San Diego State in the NCAA Tournament, Tuesday, March 18, 2025, in Dayton, Ohio.
RJ Davis and his North Carolina teammates certainly looked as though they belonged in the NCAA Tournament on Tuesday night. Davis scored 26 points and shot 6 of 6 from 3-point range to help the Tar Heels silence some skeptics with a dominant 95-68 victory over San Diego State in their First Four matchup. UNC was a controversial NCAA selection on Sunday, but the Tar Heels played like a team with something to prove.What to know about March Madness if you don't follow college basketball"I don't think it was a weight on us to try to get into the NCAA Tournament," he said. "My communication with them is to focus on us. It's not the noise on the outside in terms of comments and critics. Focusing on our preparation, our practice and our play."RJ Davis' six 3-pointers tied Caleb Love's program record for an NCAA Tournament game. Love had six against UCLA in 2022."As a head coach, I don't know what it looks like to exist without him on the sideline and on the floor, and I don't want to think about it," Hubert Davis said about RJ Davis. The 14 made 3-pointers were the most for North Carolina in an NCAA Tournament game. UNC drained 13 against Marquette in 2022. "I know that we hit a record number of 3s here, but made shots come and go," Hubert Davis said. "The thing I was most proud of is we were getting steals and deflections, and I thought our defense was real good." Trimble had 16 points for the Tar Heels in a matchup of No. 11 seeds. They advanced to play No. 6 seed Mississippi in a South Region game Friday in Milwaukee.North Carolina shot 61% in the first half and went 7 of 9 from 3-point range. RJ Davis' long 3 just before the halftime buzzer gave the Tar Heels their largest lead to that point, 47-23. "I think we did a good job of sticking to our game plan and playing Carolina basketball," he said. "We got out in transition, we shared the ball." North Carolina seemed a long shot to make the tournament with a 1-12 record in Quadrant 1 games, but was chosen Sunday thanks to a strong nonconference schedule and other metrics."Obviously, we wish we'd have given them more of a game," Aztecs coach Brian Dutcher said. "We hang our hat on our defense, and we couldn't get stops. We knew we had to play in the 70s to have a chance, and they were up in the 90s."San Diego State led the nation in field goal percentage defense, but had no answer for the Tar Heels. It was the most points the Aztecs allowed all season. The previous high was 80 in a loss to then-No. 3 Gonzaga on Nov. 18."We know who we are on the offensive end," Trimble said. "We know what we're capable of. This doesn't surprise me, what we did tonight. It's what I expect every single night."Despite not knowing whether they were in or out, the Tar Heels practiced on Sunday, hours before the tournament selection show, and prepared to play. "Yeah, we practiced on Sunday and then when we got here, and because of flight delays, this was the only practice that we had," Hubert Davis said. "But it was a really good 40-minute practice. Look, we've had 98 practices and 35 games. We knew what we needed to do."
3-Pointers North Carolina Sports Hubert Davis March Madness Root Tar Heels San Diego State Sports Newsletter Ncaa Tournament Rj Davis
United States Latest News, United States Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
RJ Davis, Seth Trimble lead North Carolina to 96-85 victory over Florida StateRJ Davis had 20 points, Seth Trimble came off the bench to score 17 and North Carolina cruised to a 96-85 victory over Florida State.
Read more »
North Carolina extends Hubert Davis through 2030, hires Jim Tanner as GMNorth Carolina coach Hubert Davis has another two years on his deal and a new GM to help the men's basketball program deal with the changing landscape of college athletics.
Read more »
Carolina Fire Maps Show Where Blazes Still Raging in North, South CarolinaSeveral fires continued to burn across the Carolinas after blazes broke out over the weekend.
Read more »
How to watch San Diego State’s First Four NCAA Tournament game against North CarolinaThe San Diego State men’s basketball team plays its first tournament game Tuesday. Watch the Aztecs on television or online or consider one of these watch parties
Read more »
North Carolina-San Diego State free livestream: How to watch March Madness game, TV, scheduleNorth Carolina plays against San Diego State in a March Madness First Four game tonight. Fans can watch this game for free.
Read more »
North Carolina vs San Diego State Prediction, Picks & Odds for Tonight’s March Madness GameOur North Carolina vs. San Diego predictions think the Aztecs can force an upset in this South Region battle of No. 11 seeds.
Read more »