No. 8 UNC has historic scoring effort in 113-96 win over N.C. State in Chapel Hill

The last time the North Carolina men's basketball team played N.C. State, senior forward Luke Maye scored a team-high 21 points to lead the Tar Heels to a 90-82 victory in Raleigh.

Less than one month later, No. 8 UNC defeated the Wolfpack, 113-96, at the Smith Center to earn the regular season sweep. Maye led the way again with 31 points to give North Carolina its sixth straight win. 

The 113 points were the most scored by UNC in the history of the rivalry.

What happened?

UNC (18-4, 8-1 ACC) got the game started with a 3-pointer from graduate guard Cameron Johnson. The teams traded basket before senior guard Kenny Williams answered with another three to make it a 10-5 game.N.C. State (16-7, 4-6 ACC) responded with a 5-0 run to tie the contest at 10. 

After Williams made a layup for his seventh point of the night, Maye followed with a jumper. He was fouled on the play and made the subsequent free throw.By the under-12 timeout, UNC had extended its lead to 22-16, thanks to a 5-0 run.

Maye added four points during the run and Williams chipped in a free throw. Out of the break, Braxton Beverly hit a 3-pointer, his third of the night, for the Wolfpack to cut the deficit to three points. UNC answered with an 11-2 run highlighted by first-year guard Coby White's first 3-pointer of the night and two turnovers by N.C. State. First-year forward Nassir Little scored six of the team's next nine points as UNC extended its lead to 40-25.

The Tar Heels stretched their lead to 16 points after White converted an and-one layup, but Beverly answered with a banked 3-pointer. On the next possession, White hit another and-one layup for his 11th point of the night. At the 2:05 mark in the half, Williams hit a layup to give UNC 50 points for the half. After junior guard Brandon Robinson hit a free throw, Johnson found Little on a lob pass for a layup to make it a 53-35 game. 

White then hit a wide open 3-pointer after Bryce made a layup for N.C. State. UNC ended the half up 56-40 and only turned the ball over four times after committing 23 turnovers the last time the teams played.

White began the second half with another bucket to extend UNC's lead to 18 points. 

By the first media timeout of the second half, North Carolina had hit three of its next five shots and widened its lead to 21 points.

The Wolfpack hit a jumper at the 15:14 mark to cut the lead down to 20 points, but Johnson and Williams answered with a 7-0 run to give UNC its largest lead of the night at 77-50.

At the 12:51 mark in the second half, Little hit a free throw to become the fifth Tar Heel to score double digits on the night. 

In less than two minutes of game time, the Wolfpack exploded for 14 points, but UNC kept pace to keep the game at 89-68 at the 9:54 mark. Maye hit and-one layups on consecutive possessions to give himself 27 points and make it a 92-68 lead.

At the 5:38 mark, Williams hit his first 3-pointer of the night as UNC broke the 100-point threshold for the sixth time this season to make it a 101-77 lead.

After an N.C. State layup, UNC scored six consecutive points off free throws from Williams, a 3-pointer from Johnson and another free throw from White making it a 107-79 game.

Who stood out?

Five players ended the game in double figures. Maye led the way with a season-high 31 points and finished with 12 rebounds. White scored 21 points and added four assists. Williams and Johnson each finished with 17 points and Little added 12.

Why does it matter?

UNC has now won six consecutive games since falling to Louisville, 83-62, at the Smith Center on Jan. 12. The Tar Heels stand at 8-1 in the ACC, tied with Duke and Virginia for first place.

When was it decided?

At the 8:04 mark in the first half, the Tar Heels led by just 10 points. Just over four minutes later that lead extended to 16 points. Little led the way with six points over the span.

When do they play next?

UNC faces Miami on Saturday at noon at the Smith Center. The last time the Hurricanes came to Chapel Hill they hit a game-winning 3-pointer at the buzzer on North Carolina's Senior Night last February.

@christrenkle2

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