The North Carolina Tar Heels continued their hot streak with a commanding 92-73 win over the Miami Hurricanes on Saturday, marking their fifth consecutive victory, their longest winning streak of the season.
Ven-Allen Lubin led the way for UNC (19-11, 12-6 ACC) with an efficient 19 points, shooting 9-of-10 from the floor. Jae’Lyn Withers contributed a strong all-around performance, recording his third double-double of the season with 11 points and 10 rebounds. The Tar Heels had six players in double figures, including Drake Powell with 16 points, RJ Davis with 13, Ian Jackson with 11, and Seth Trimble adding 10.
UNC was dominant offensively, shooting an impressive 59% from the field and converting 10 of 18 attempts from beyond the arc. The Tar Heels also controlled the glass, outrebounding Miami 38-26. Davis reached a career milestone, surpassing 2,600 points, second all-time in school history behind Tyler Hansbrough.
Miami (6-23, 2-16 ACC) struggled to keep pace despite a strong effort from Matthew Cleveland, who scored 25 points on 12-of-21 shooting. Brandon Johnson added 20 points for the Hurricanes, who lost their fifth straight game. Miami shot 43% overall but struggled from deep, making just 9 of 30 attempts from three-point range.
The Tar Heels took control late in the first half and never looked back. After Miami briefly led 3-0, UNC surged ahead, steadily building a double-digit advantage. Led by Withers nine points and seven rebounds in the opening half, the Tar Heels entered the break with a 46-31 lead. A late 12-2 run, fueled by a pair of three-pointers from Trimble, helped UNC stretch the gap.
In the second half, North Carolina continued to dominate, extending its lead to as many as 21 points. The Tar Heels maintained their offensive efficiency, keeping Miami at bay as they cruised to victory.
North Carolina now turns its attention to a road matchup against Virginia Tech on Tuesday before closing out the regular season with a high-stakes home game against No. 2 Duke next Saturday. Meanwhile, Miami will try to snap its losing streak on the road against Georgia Tech on Tuesday before finishing the season at home against N.C. State.
With the ACC Tournament approaching, the Tar Heels appear to be peaking at the right time, while Miami continues to struggle, searching for momentum to close out the season.
