North Carolina To Host UNC Wilmington Wednesday

On Wednesday night North Carolina who is a member of the Atlantic Coast Conference will host UNC Wilmington who is a member of the Colonial Athletic Association.

North Carolina comes into the game with a record of 6-2 while UNC Wilmington comes into the game with a record of 4-5.

As for North Carolina’s previous game, they lost to Michigan in the ACC/ Big Ten Challenge a week ago.

Charles Matthews had 21 points and seven rebounds, and Zavier Simpson spearheaded another impressive defensive effort by No. 7 Michigan, which rolled to an 84-67 victory over No. 11 North Carolina on Wednesday night. “according to https://goheels.com/news/2018/11/28/mens-basketball-carolina-falls-at-michigan-84-67.aspx

Jordan Poole scored 15 of his 18 points in the second half for the Wolverines (7-0), who led 39-35 at halftime and then shut down the Tar Heels' fast-paced offense for a while. North Carolina (6-2) came in averaging 96.6 points per game, but Michigan was allowing half that at 48.3. The Tar Heels ended up between those two extremes, but a good deal closer to the lower number. “according to https://goheels.com/news/2018/11/28/mens-basketball-carolina-falls-at-michigan-84-67.aspx

Michigan outscored North Carolina 34-16 in the first 12:13 of the second half. At times, just getting a shot to the rim felt like an accomplishment for the Tar Heels. An alley-oop dunk by Jon Teske put the Wolverines up 49-39, causing North Carolina to take a timeout. Matthews provided an even more emphatic highlight later on, slamming home an offensive rebound while drawing a foul. “according to https://goheels.com/news/2018/11/28/mens-basketball-carolina-falls-at-michigan-84-67.aspx

Matthews completed that three-point play to make it 56-42, and then Teske and Matthews blocked shots at the other end. A 3-pointer by Poole made it 63-43. “according to https://goheels.com/news/2018/11/28/mens-basketball-carolina-falls-at-michigan-84-67.aspx

Michigan led 73-51 before North Carolina went on an 11-0 run. Matthews halted that with a 3-pointer. “according to https://goheels.com/news/2018/11/28/mens-basketball-carolina-falls-at-michigan-84-67.aspx

North Carolina was sharp offensively early, taking a 21-11 lead, but the Wolverines responded with a 19-4 run that included 10 points by Iggy Brazdeikis. Michigan closed the half on a bright note as well. Matthews sank a 3-pointer, then the 7-foot-1 Teske dove on the floor to secure a loose ball, helping set up a 3 by Poole in the final seconds. “according to https://goheels.com/news/2018/11/28/mens-basketball-carolina-falls-at-michigan-84-67.aspx

BIG PICTURE

North Carolina: The Tar Heels were on the road -- and they're certainly not alone in losing big to Michigan this season. Villanova fell by 27 to the Wolverines at home. But this was an ugly night for North Carolina, which started well on the offensive end and still ended up shooting 39 percent for the game. “according to https://goheels.com/news/2018/11/28/mens-basketball-carolina-falls-at-michigan-84-67.aspx

Michigan: The Wolverines probably wish the NCAA Tournament started now. Matthews had a terrific all-around game at both ends of the court, and Michigan showed yet again that it can shut down even a talented offensive team for extended stretches. “according to https://goheels.com/news/2018/11/28/mens-basketball-carolina-falls-at-michigan-84-67.aspx

POLL IMPLICATIONS

Michigan has the win over Villanova and this rout. If the Wolverines make it through the rest of the week without a loss, they could move up a few spots, depending on what teams above them do. North Carolina figures to drop after a second loss in seven days. “according to https://goheels.com/news/2018/11/28/mens-basketball-carolina-falls-at-michigan-84-67.aspx

As for Unc Wilmington’s previous game, Like North Carolina they lost their previous game as they lost to Davidson.

Spurred by 25-point efforts from junior guard Jon Axel Gudmunsson and sophomore guard Kellan Grady, Davidson shot a blistering 65.2 percent in the second half to push past UNCW, 91-85, in the first December test for both clubs on Saturday night at Trask Coliseum.
 
The Wildcats won their fourth consecutive game to increase their record to 7-1 this season. The Seahawks had their two-game winning streak halted and carry a 4-5 mark into Wednesday's clash at North Carolina.
 
Gudmunsson and Grady combined for 50 of Davidson's 91 points as the Wildcats rallied from a 10-point deficit with 10 minutes remaining to escape with the victory. Redshirt freshman guard Luke Frampton added 15 points and freshman forward Luka Brajkovic chipped in 13 points to give the Wildcats four in double figures. “according to https://uncwsports.com/news/2018/12/1/mens-basketball-wildcats-outlast-seahawks-at-trask.aspx
 
Senior forward Devontae Cacok scored a team-high 19 points and grabbed 12 boards for his 41st career double-double. Redshirt junior forward Jeantal Cylla collected 18 points, redshirt junior guard Ty Taylor scored 14 off the bench and sophomore guard Ty Gadsden finished with 12. Freshman point guard Kai Toews registered his third consecutive game with 10 or more assists when he finished with 10 helpers. “according to https://uncwsports.com/news/2018/12/1/mens-basketball-wildcats-outlast-seahawks-at-trask.aspx
 
In a game that featured seven ties and 12 lead changes, the Seahawks jumped ahead, 61-54, on a Taylor three-pointer with 9:59 remaining before the Wildcats stormed back to pull even, 67-all, on a Gudmunsson layup at 5:51. “according to https://uncwsports.com/news/2018/12/1/mens-basketball-wildcats-outlast-seahawks-at-trask.aspx
 
The score was still knotted at 73-all when Grady connected on a spinning shot in the paint and then knocked down a three-pointer to give the Wildcats breathing room, 78-73. Davidson sank 10-of-12 free throws in the final two minutes to seal its sixth victory in the 11-game series. “according to https://uncwsports.com/news/2018/12/1/mens-basketball-wildcats-outlast-seahawks-at-trask.aspx
 
Davidson forged out to a 39-34 lead at halftime following a late-half surge that was aided by a flagrant foul in the final minute, allowing the Wildcats to build a slight edge at the break. “according to https://uncwsports.com/news/2018/12/1/mens-basketball-wildcats-outlast-seahawks-at-trask.aspx
 
After the Seahawks used a 14-2 run to grab their first lead of the game, 24-23, and added a three-pointer by Taylor for a 27-23 advantage with just over seven minutes left, the Wildcats still trailed, 33-32, with just over two minutes remaining in the opening period. “according to https://uncwsports.com/news/2018/12/1/mens-basketball-wildcats-outlast-seahawks-at-trask.aspx
 
But reserve guard Carter Collins sank a three-ball and Gudmunsson converted both free throws on the flagrant foul and Brajkovic tacked on another free throw to increase the margin to 38-33. The Wildcats then took a 39-34 advantage into the break. “according to https://uncwsports.com/news/2018/12/1/mens-basketball-wildcats-outlast-seahawks-at-trask.aspx
 
CACOK UPDATE: Senior forward Devontae Cacok's 19 points and 13 rebounds gave him six double-doubles in nine games this season and raised his career totals to 1,236 points (11th all-time) and 968 rebounds (3rd all-time). “according to https://uncwsports.com/news/2018/12/1/mens-basketball-wildcats-outlast-seahawks-at-trask.aspx
 
STATE OF THE UNION: The Seahawks now stand 1-4 against state opponents this season, with three more games on the docket for state foes (North Carolina, Elon 2x). “according to https://uncwsports.com/news/2018/12/1/mens-basketball-wildcats-outlast-seahawks-at-trask.aspx
 
TAKING CARE OF THE BALL: After entering the contest averaging 16.1 turnovers per outing, the Seahawks committed just nine miscues in the 40 minutes. “according to https://uncwsports.com/news/2018/12/1/mens-basketball-wildcats-outlast-seahawks-at-trask.aspx
 
SOUND SMART WITH YOUR FRIENDS: The Seahawks owned the offensive glass, building a 17-5 advantage against the Wildcats. “according to https://uncwsports.com/news/2018/12/1/mens-basketball-wildcats-outlast-seahawks-at-trask.aspx
 
KEY MOMENT: With 2:47 left in the contest and clinging to a 75-73 lead, Davidson's Kellan Grady buried a trifecta on the left side to extend the margin to 78-73. “according to https://uncwsports.com/news/2018/12/1/mens-basketball-wildcats-outlast-seahawks-at-trask.aspx
 
QUOTABLE: "Davidson was just a little too good offensively for us tonight. They got into a rhythm tonight. We knew they were going to run their stuff and it's hard to take them out of what they do. They made some tough shots. They deserve credit for the win." - UNCW Head Coach C.B. McGrath “according to https://uncwsports.com/news/2018/12/1/mens-basketball-wildcats-outlast-seahawks-at-trask.aspx

Tip-off is set for 9:00pm from the Dean E. Smith Center. The game will be televised on ESPN2.