BIG MEN LEAD TAR HEELS PAST PACK, 86-76

CHAPEL HILL—Armando Bacot and Day’Ron Sharpe combined for 33 points and 18 rebounds to lead North Carolina to a 86-76 win over North Carolina State on Saturday afternoon at the Smith Center.

Bacot had 17 points and eight rebounds, while Sharpe had 16 and 10. Caleb Love added 15 points for Carolina, which scored a season-high 86 as a team.

Carolina (10-5, 5-3 Atlantic Coast Conference) has won five of its last six games after starting the conference season 0-2 in December.

RJ Davis and Anthony Harris each added 10 points as five Tar Heels scored in double figures for the third time this season and first time in an ACC game.

It was the first time four Tar Heel freshmen (Sharpe, Love, Davis, Harris) scored in double figures since January 27, 2007, at Arizona.

Carolina dominated the backboards, holding a 44-30 rebounding edge. The UNC bench outscored the Wolfpack reserves, 38-12, led by Sharpe’s 16 and 10 each from Davis and Harris.

The Tar Heels played perhaps their best half of the season in the first 20 minutes. Carolina shot 56.8 percent in the first half, its best shooting half of the season. The Tar Heels led, 43-33, at the break for their biggest halftime lead of the season. Bacot and Sharpe both shot 6 for 8 from the floor in the first half, combining for 24 points and seven rebounds on 12 of 16 shooting in the first 20 minutes.

Carolina improved to 161-79 all-time against the Wolfpack, winning 33 of the last 38 and 50 of the last 62 meetings in the series. Roy Williams is 38-5 as a head coach against NCSU, including 33-5 at Carolina.

UNC is 79-23 against the Pack in Chapel Hill, including 28-7 in the Smith Center. The Tar Heels have won 16 of the last 18 meetings in Chapel Hill.

The Tar Heels will return to action on Tuesday night at Pittsburgh.