On Saturday night, North Carolina men’s basketball (15-11, 8-6 ACC) handled Syracuse, 88-82, behind a bounce back performance from freshman Ian Jackson. His 23 points led the Tar Heels in scoring.
After being the recipient of a trouncing on Monday night at Clemson, North Carolina got back to its winning ways after losing five of seven prior.
The contest, which didn’t air on its designated network until nearly halftime, started ugly on both sides. RJ Davis was scoreless until the 4:57 mark, but Jackson’s hot start allowed the Tar Heels to jump to an early advantage. Rare three-pointers from Jae’Lyn Withers and Jalen Washington pushed North Carolina to a double-digit first half advantage even after an ugly first handful of minutes.