CHAPEL HILL, N.C. — Ian Jackson, a freshman standout for North Carolina, showcased his talent by scoring a season-best 26 points as the Tar Heels triumphed over Campbell with a score of 97-81 on Sunday night. Additionally, RJ Davis contributed significantly by logging 23 points, including five shots from beyond the arc, in what marked the team’s final nonconference match of the season.
Elliot Cadeau also had a noteworthy performance, finishing with 12 points and achieving a career-high of 12 assists. Both Drake Powell and Jalen Washington chipped in 12 and 10 points, respectively, helping North Carolina improve to a record of 8-5 for the season.
Cadeau initiated the scoring momentum with a jumper, igniting a 15-3 run, while Davis drilled a three-pointer that allowed UNC to take the lead for good at 16:09 in the first half. Cadeau concluded this impressive run with a layup, pushing the score to 22-12 with 12:41 left until halftime.
In response, Colby Duggan of Campbell netted two consecutive three-pointers, narrowing the gap to 22-18 just under a minute later. Nolan Dorsey’s tip-in further reduced the deficit to four points with 7:51 remaining in the half. However, North Carolina dominated the closing minutes of the first half, scoring 12 of the last 17 points to head into halftime with a 40-29 advantage. From that point onward, Campbell could only come within nine points.
As the second half commenced, Duggan began with a jumper for Campbell. Still, Washington’s electrifying dunk with 18:53 remaining allowed the Tar Heels to maintain a double-digit lead throughout the remainder of the game.
Duggan emerged as Campbell’s leading scorer, achieving a career-high of 32 points on 11-of-18 shooting and hitting 5 of 9 attempts from three-point territory. In contrast, the rest of the Fighting Camels struggled, shooting just 37.8% from the field with 17 successful field goals out of 45 attempts.
Jasin Sinani contributed 15 points, while Cam Gregory added 14 for Campbell. North Carolina played without Seth Trimble, who is sidelined due to an upper-body injury, and he is currently averaging 14.8 points per game this season.
