Kennedy Meeks dropped in 19 points and freshman Justin Jackson added 18 of his own as the #6 North Carolina Tar Heels routed the Davidson Wildcats 90-72 on Saturday in Charlotte.
The Tar Heels took control of a game that was close early on and held a double digit for the entire second half. All American point guard Marcus Paige chipped in 13 points for his team while J.P. Tokoto added 10 to help pace North Carolina.
Davidson was led by Peyton Aldridge who scored a game high 25 points, including 6 three-pointers on the afternoon. Despite Aldridge’s sharpshooting, the Wildcats managed to only make 33% of their shots. Conversely, North Carolina made nearly 50% of its attempts.
The Tar Heels are getting contributions from their front line, which is crucial for their long term success. Along with scoring big, the Heels controlled the glass against the scrappy Wildcats. Meeks tallied 12 boards while Tokoto and Brice Johnson each grabbed seven caroms for North Carolina.
The game was played in the arena of the Charlotte Hornets as a favor to part owner and former Tar Heel Michael Jordan.
“I’m doing (this) because Michael (Jordan) wanted me to come play a game there and that’s the bottom line,” North Carolina coach Roy Williams said before the game.
Davison took its first loss of the season, dropping to 2-1. The Heels, meanwhile, move to 3-0 in preparation for a visit from Butler on Wednesday in The Bahamas as part of the Battle 4 Atlantis Tournament.