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Hubert Davis bats away UNC's record-breaking accomplishment vs. Florida State

275133747_4796292347117549_592518599057046758_nby:Jonathan Wagner02/13/22

Jonathan Wagner

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Grant Halverson via Getty Images.

UNC came out extremely strong on Saturday against Florida State. The Tar Heels led the Seminoles 62-24 at halftime, marking a 38-point lead. That 38-point lead marks the biggest ever in an ACC game inside the Dean Smith Center. After the game, Davis was asked about UNC’s huge accomplishment, but he was more focused on how his team played in the second half.

When UNC got to the locker room at halftime, Davis reminded his team that the game is not over, and that they had an opportunity to continue getting better in the second half against Florida State. Ultimately, the Seminoles outscored the Tar Heels 50-32 in the second half, but UNC came away with a 94-74 victory.

“I hear that Florida State scored 50 in the second half and we scored 32,” Davis said when asked about UNC’s first half. “It doesn’t mean anything to me at all. I just, at halftime, I spoke to the team and I said it’s zero-zero. This is an opportunity to get better and consistently work on good habits on both ends of the floor.

“It’s not a time to relax, it’s not a time to stop doing the things that allowed us to be successful in the first half. And at times, we didn’t take care of the basketball. We didn’t play defense like we did in the first half. But overall, I’m really proud of them.”

UNC put on a clinic in the first half against Florida State

In the first half on Saturday, UNC shot 74.2% from the field while Florida State shot 30%. The Tar Heels shot 75% from three-point range in the first half, compared to 37.5% for the Seminoles. While Florida State turned things around in the second half, it was UNC that had the edge at the final buzzer. The Tar Heels shot 55.2% from the field in the game and 42.9% from beyond the arc. Florida State shot 38.8% overall and 47.4% from deep.

Florida State did lose its leading scorer, guard Caleb Mills, early on in the first half. Losing Mills was another tough blow for a Florida State team that has been decimated by injuries in recent weeks.

UNC improved to 18-7 overall and 10-4 against ACC opponents with the win on Saturday. The Tar Heels have six games remaining on the regular season schedule, including a rematch with No. 7 Duke in Cameron Indoor Stadium on March 5 to wrap up the regular season. UNC is viewed as a bubble team at this point for the NCAA Tournament, so a strong finish will be necessary for a shot at making it to the big dance this season.