Caleb Love had 17 points and Pete Nance scored 16 points as North Carolina was in control throughout the final 25 minutes in a 100-67 victory against visiting The Citadel on Tuesday night in Chapel Hill, N.C.
North Carolina (7-4) won its second game in a row following a four-game losing streak.
The Tar Heels, who are unranked for the second week in a row after beginning the season at No. 1, improved to 6-0 in home games. They shot 49.2 percent from the field.
Armando Bacot racked up 14 points and 11 rebounds and reserve Tyler Nickel, a freshman, provided a career-best 16 points, aided by three 3-point baskets.
Jackson Price, who had 10 first-half points, and Stephen Clark both finished with 15 points for Citadel (5-5), which has lost back-to-back games. Madison Durr, who led the Bulldogs in their previous game with 20 points, was held to four points.
Citadel made just eight of 27 shots from beyond the 3-point arc and had only nine offensive rebounds.
Love connected on four (six attempts) of North Carolina’s 15 successful 3-point shots, a season high. The Tar Heels were 15 for 31 from long range, with Nance also sinking three.
North Carolina broke out to an early nine-point lead, but Citadel closed within 26-25 before the Tar Heels broke away late in the first half. North Carolina was keyed by offensive rebounding, pulling in 13 of those boards by game’s end.
The Tar Heels led 48-33 at halftime.
North Carolina ended up 21 for 27 on free throws, while Citadel didn’t attempt a foul shot in the first half and finished just 1 for 5.
North Carolina improved to 20-0 all-time vs. Citadel, though this was the first meeting since November 1991 when current Tar Heels coach Hubert Davis was a player for the team and scored 16 points. That’s the most wins against any team without a loss in the history of the North Carolina program.
–Field Level Media
