New-look starting lineup leads UNC Basketball to dominant victory over NC State

Posted by author February 20, 2025 Basketball

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Head coach Hubert Davis finally made a change.

For the first time all season, Davis opted for a three-forward starting lineup on Wednesday night. And in turn, the Tar Heels played with a level of intensity that they haven’t seen all year.

In the 97-73 win over NC State in the Dean Smith Center, everything clicked for UNC. The backcourt slashed to the basket and enjoyed greater spacing from three. The frontcourt crashed the glass and ate in the paint. And the entire team locked the Wolfpack down on the defensive end.

The Tar Heels looked like a completely different team, an encouraging sign for a unit desperate for wins.

UNC played its best half of the season in the first 20 minutes.

Seven different players scored over 5 points in the half. The new-look starting lineup combined for 28 points. The bench — 26. Everything that could have gone right for the Tar Heels did. Even Cade Tyson got in on the fun, knocking down two 3s in his limited three minutes of action in the first half.

The Tar Heels rushed out to a 54-26 lead at the break. It was the most points UNC scored in a first half all season.

Ven-Allen Lubin, who was the lone Tar Heel to go scoreless in the first 20 minutes, got the scoring started for UNC in the second frame. Back-to-back dunks, along with an and-1 layup, gave Lubin UNC’s first seven points of the second half.

The lead never dipped below 20 points. It reached as high as 30. In total, four players scored double-digit points. The Tar Heels out-rebounded NC State 40-21. They scored 26 more points in the paint.

Davis may have finally found a lineup that can ignite his team. And if that’s the case, the season may not be over just yet.

The Tar Heels will look to extend their winning streak to three on Saturday as Virginia travels down to Chapel Hill.