CHAPEL HILL, N.C. — In a compelling display of dominance, North Carolina triumphed over its rival N.C. State with a convincing score of 97-73 on Wednesday evening. RJ Davis led the Tar Heels with a notable performance, scoring 21 points, while Seth Davis contributed 15 points on an efficient 6-of-9 shooting.

Other noteworthy performances for North Carolina (16-11, 9-6 ACC) came from Ven-Allen Lubin, who added 13 points, and Ian Jackson, who chipped in with 12 points. The game shifted decisively early on when Drake Powell’s layup put the Tar Heels ahead, and they never looked back, initiating a 10-0 run that widened the margin to 16-6 within just a few minutes. Although Trey Parker managed to score two free throws for N.C. State, Seth Trimble quickly countered with a jumper. Jackson and Jae’Lyn Withers ignited a 12-2 spurt with their three-pointers, extending North Carolina’s lead to 18 midway through the first half.

Remarkably, the Tar Heels displayed remarkable efficiency, shooting 57% from the field (35 of 61) while dominating the boards with a 40-21 rebounding advantage. They maintained a double-digit lead for the entire last 33 minutes of the game. For N.C. State (10-16, 3-12), Jayden Taylor was the standout performer, scoring 19 points, complemented by Dontrez Styles, who added 18 points with an efficient 7-of-10 shooting. Paul McNeil Jr. also contributed with 14 points in just 14 minutes, successfully making 5 of 8 attempts from the field. However, Marcus Hill Jr., who leads the team in scoring for the season at an average of 12.8 points per game, struggled significantly, finishing with only two points.

Despite his 21-point output, Davis faced challenges in shooting, making only 6 of 18 from the field and just 1 of 8 from beyond the arc, but he did manage to convert all his attempts from the free-throw line. This victory marks a pivotal achievement for North Carolina, who has now won seven consecutive home contests against N.C. State and holds a commanding all-time record of 168-81 against the Wolfpack.

Looking ahead, North Carolina is set to host Virginia on Saturday, while N.C. State will also be in action on the same day, welcoming Wake Forest to their arena.