Bacot scores 26, UNC beats Michigan at Jumpman Invitational
CHARLOTTE, N.C. - Armando Bacot scored 26 points on 11-of-16 shooting, RJ Davis hit four 3-pointers and finished with 19 points and North Carolina held on to beat Michigan 80-76 Wednesday night.
Caleb Love added 18 points, including four free throws in the closing seconds, for North Carolina.
The Tar Heels (9-4), who were coming off an 89-84 overtime win over then-No. 23 Ohio State on Saturday, have won four games in row.
CHARLOTTE, NORTH CAROLINA - DECEMBER 21: R.J. Davis #4 of the North Carolina Tar Heels battles Dug McDaniel #0 of the Michigan Wolverines for a loose ball during the first half of their game at Spectrum Center on December 21, 2022 in Charlotte, North
Kobe Bufkin led Michigan (7-4) with 22 points on 7-of-10 shooting. Jett Howard made 6 of 12 from the field and finished with 17 points.
Bacot scored inside, Love followed with a 3-pointer and Bacot converted a three-point play that gave UNC the lead for good with 4:09 left in the first half. Davis added two 3s, the latter of which capped an 18-4 run that made it 41-32 with 59 seconds remaining.
North Carolina shot 50% (29 of 58) from the field and scored 40 points in the paint.
Davis hit a 3-pointer before Pete Nance was fouled as he threw down a dunk and made the and-1 free throw to give UNC an nine-point lead with 5:45 to play. The Wolverines scored 11 of the next 15 points — including 3s by Joey Baker and Terrance Williams II — to trim their deficit to 73-71 when Bufkin made a jumper with 1:23 to play. Davis answered with a runner off the glass 34 seconds later and Michigan got no closer.
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Michigan returns home to play Dec. 30 against Central Michigan
North Carolina hits the road to resume ACC play at Pitt on Dec. 30