Chapel Hill, N.C. – North Carolina got away with Marcus Paige having one of his lowest-scoring games because Brice Johnson came through with one of his best. He finished with two points. Demon Deacons’ coach Danny Manning told reporters his team “took a step back” in an 83-55 home loss to Syracuse on Saturday. Devin Thomas is averaging 16.4 points per game and 10.5 rebounds per game for Wake Forest.
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Limited to seven scholarship players, the Tar Heels’ lack of depth showed once again against the Demon Deacons. The Over/Under (O/U) is sitting at 166 points for this matchup. He was 6 feet 9 inches tall but has grown an inch and is down to 260 pounds after spending a couple of offseasons trimming up. Marcus Paige is averaging 14.1 points per game and 4 assists per game for the Tar Heels.
One thing the Tar Heels can rely on down the stretch is players coming in fresh off the bench if they need to give the starters a break. He was 8-12 from the floor and 11-12 at the free throw line continuing his excellent free throw shooting. North Carolina is one of the most disciplined teams in the nation with an assist-to-turnover ratio of 1.79. During the key stretch, Felix had a one-hand follow-up shot, two free throws, a 3-pointer and two more foul shots for the Longhorns (12-6, 4-2).
These conference foes meet for what will be their first head-to-head battle of the season. The teams are even ATS, with a 5-5 record. On the other side of the court, Wake Forest never accomplished this feat in that span.
That’s fine against Wake Forest, but UNC can ill-afford a prolonged shooting drought with a schedule that includes two dates each against Louisville and Duke and road trips to Virginia, Virginia Tech and Notre Dame. He’s scored at least 10 points in UNC’s last nine games.
UNC beat Wake Forest 83-68 to remain flawless in the ACC and notch a tenth-straight victory, but the team was not proud of how it got its win.
The total has gone OVER in 6 of North Carolina’s last 7 games at home.
It’s hard to explain Paige’s struggles the last three games, but if anyone can turn it around it’s him. Thus far they are a ideal 5-0 and stand a good chance of extending that streak to 6-0 following tonight’s Wake Forest game.
Wake Forest lost its last game by a 28-point margin.
BOSTON – Sheldon McClellan scored 19 points, Ja’Quan Newton had 12 and Miami rebounded from consecutive losses with a win over Boston College. Wake Forest is 0-2 in blowouts this season. Wake Forest has both fewer possessions (71.4) and scores fewer points during those possessions (1.070).
Despite her early exit from Thursday’s contest at Wake Forest, she had lived up to the high standards she has set for herself this season. The Tar Heels never led in 40 minutes of play. After playing Virginia, the Demon Deacons (10-8, 1-5 ACC) return to action five days later for a Sunday road game against Notre Dame.
North Carolina’s Joel Berry II (2) and Isaiah Hicks (4) guard Wake Forest’s Bryant Crawford during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game in Chapel Hill, N.C., Wednesday, Jan. 20, 2016.
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David Allen is SI’s campus correspondent for the University of North Carolina.
