CHAPEL HILL, N.C. — In a strong performance on Tuesday night, North Carolina triumphed over SMU with a score of 82-67, maintaining the lead throughout the game. RJ Davis led the Tar Heels with 26 points while Ian Jackson contributed 18 points to the victory. Drake Powell also had a solid game, scoring 17 points, helping the team finish with a shooting percentage of 47.4% on 27 out of 57 attempts, compared to SMU’s 33.3%, made on 23 of 69 attempts.

The Tar Heels, now sitting at a record of 10-6 and 3-1 in the Atlantic Coast Conference, have bounced back by winning six out of their last eight encounters after experiencing a brief three-game losing streak. Of the teams they faced during that stretch, two were among the top 10 ranked teams in the nation. For SMU, which falls to 11-4 and 2-2 in the conference, the team saw considerable contributions from reserve players, including Chuck Harris with 18 points, B.J. Edwards with 15, and Matt Cross who added 13.

The game kicked off with Elliot Cadeau netting a 3-pointer for North Carolina, swiftly followed by a layup. A jump shot from Boopie Miller at the 4:06 mark of the first half leveled the score at 6-6. However, the Tar Heels quickly rebounded with a jump shot from Powell, a free throw from Davis, and back-to-back 3-pointers from both players, establishing a 15-6 lead.

As the first half progressed, Powell hit another 3-pointer with 11:08 remaining, extending North Carolina’s lead to 23-13, marking their first double-digit advantage. Ven-Allen Lubin added a tip-in to increase their lead to 30-19, and the Tar Heels managed to maintain a double-digit lead throughout the remainder of the game, going into halftime up 39-24. They further extended their lead to 20 points at 55-35 after Ian Jackson converted two free throws with 13:39 left to play.

Looking ahead, SMU will take on Georgia Tech on Saturday, while North Carolina is set to face N.C. State on the same day.