3 takeaways from UNC Basketball’s comeback win over Florida State
![CHAPEL HILL, NORTH CAROLINA - DECEMBER 2: RJ Davis #4 of the North Carolina Tar Heels goes to the basket during the second half of the game against the Florida State Seminoles at Dean E. Smith Center on December 2, 2023 in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. North Carolina won 78-70. (Photo by Lance King/Getty Images) CHAPEL HILL, NORTH CAROLINA - DECEMBER 2: RJ Davis #4 of the North Carolina Tar Heels goes to the basket during the second half of the game against the Florida State Seminoles at Dean E. Smith Center on December 2, 2023 in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. North Carolina won 78-70. (Photo by Lance King/Getty Images)](https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/c_fill,w_720,ar_16:9,f_auto,q_auto,g_auto/shape/cover/sport/c8320cc5a422fe678e4864bd309aea7adafab20fa91b3596b4ce496a831a4ea2.jpg)
The North Carolina Tar Heels got more than they bargained for on Saturday afternoon from the Florida State Seminoles, but thanks to an overwhelming second-half avalanche that saw UNC Basketball go on a 22-0 run, the boys from Chapel Hill were able to secure their third victory in a row and go 1-0 in the ACC.
For as well as the Heels started against Tennessee earlier this week, the opposite was true against FSU. Whether it was due to a natural letdown after the high-energy effort against the Volunteers, looking ahead to a looming matchup next week with defending national champion UConn, or the fact that this Florida State team just flat-out came to play, it was clear from the outset that Carolina had its work cut out for it.
The Seminoles knocked down nine first-half threes to jump on UNC early, many of them late in the shot clock, and Carolina struggled to shoot on their end, leading to a six-point halftime deficit that quickly ballooned to 14 points early in the second half.
Hubert Davis consolidated his team’s playing time in this game, with RJ Davis, Harrison Ingram, Armando Bacot, and Cormac Ryan all playing at least 32 minutes. The Heels’ other starter, freshman point guard Elliot Cadeau, likely would have eclipsed the 27 minutes he played, too, if not for some first half foul trouble.
Most Carolina fans would have loved an easy Heels victory to kick off the weekend, but we learned a lot about the team today. Let’s get into the three biggest takeaways from a well-earned home win.