JV basketball tops Forsyth Country 93-65

The North Carolina junior varsity basketball team rolled to a 93-65 win against Forsyth Country Day School on Sunday afternoon, led by a team-high 18 points from Jay Lamothe and double-figure scoring performances from four other players.

The game was a tale of two halves, as UNC relied heavily on outside shooting in the first half, while turning to a more attack-oriented, more physical style in the second.

“Effort is one thing we’ve been preaching for the entire season … in the second half they really turned it on and played well,” assistant JV coach Matt VanHoy said.

Aside from Lamothe’s 18 points and seven rebounds, Justin Coleman added 13 points and nine rebounds for UNC, while Brian Whalen scored 15 points and Quinton Wimbish finished with nine points and eight assists.

Forsyth Country Day senior point guard and Loyola signee Colton Bishop finished with a game-high 25 points for the Furies and went 5-of-7 from 3-point range.

FCDS coach Howard West pointed to youth as the main reason for the Furies’ struggles but also recognized the potential for his team to learn and grow from the loss.

“The physical strength factor was also an issue in there too. We played one seventh grader, two eighth graders a lot and two freshmen,” West said.

“We’re a young team.”

The Tar Heels drained seven 3-pointers in the first half and were paced by Lyle Jones’ 10 first-half points. They opened up their biggest lead of the half after back-to-back 3-pointers from Spenser Dalton and a Wimbish jumper made the score 27-12 with 12 minutes to play in the half.

As the first half continued, the Furies began to settle in against the Tar Heels’ man-to-man pressure, led by Bishop and his 16 first half points. He provided a steady hand for the FCDS and hit consecutive 3-pointers at one point to cut the UNC lead to 29-22 with 9:19 remaining in the first half.

A late first half UNC run spurred by Toby Egbuna gave the Tar Heels a 50-37 halftime lead.

UNC struggled to score early in the second half, but a stifling 2-3 zone defense to open the half allowed the Tar Heels to retain their double-digit lead.

UNC continued to widen the gap as the second half wore on, scoring most of their points from the foul line in a less frenetic, more physical half of play. Lamothe was a constant playmaker, getting to the basket with ease throughout the half and going 8-of-10 from the foul line.

“In the second half, we just wanted to keep up the intensity,” Lamothe said about his second half performance.

“We’re a relatively small team … I try to have some versatility and go inside. I try to draw a lot of fouls,” he said.

Despite the lopsided loss, West and his players were not shaken.

More than anything, West was thrilled that his young team was able to play on the Smith Center floor and get a taste of major college basketball.

“We really appreciate coach Williams and the program for allowing us to come down and get this experience … The history is so great. The atmosphere — just to see it,” West said.

VanHoy — a former JV player himself — echoed the same sentiments about the UNC JV squad and what it means to the players to be a part of the program.

“It’s a dream come true … I think the guys really do cherish the opportunity to come in here every day and put on that uniform.”