CHAPEL HILL – For the first time since 2019, UNC basketball has won at least a share of the ACC regular-season championship.
The seventh-ranked Tar Heels got it done with an 84-51 rout of Notre Dame on Tuesday night at the Dean E. Smith Center, where RJ Davis scored 22 points in what could be his final home game at UNC.
UNC (24-6, 16-3 ACC) heads to No. 9 Duke (24-6, 15-4) on Saturday (6:30 p.m., ESPN) for the regular-season finale.
With a victory in Durham, the Tar Heels would be outright ACC regular-season champions for the first time since 2017, a season that ended with the program winning its sixth NCAA title.
Here’s what stood out in UNC’s home finale against Notre Dame (12-18, 7-12) and what it means moving forward.
RJ Davis puts on show for Smith Center crowd
If it was his finale at the Smith Center, RJ Davis gave the UNC crowd one more show with 22 points on 9-for-15 shooting, including four three-pointers. In the first 14 home games, Davis averaged 22.2 points per game. The favorite to win ACC Player of the Year, Davis continues to show he’s one of the best players in the nation.
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Cormac Ryan has to keep knocking down shots
Among the seven players to be honored on senior night, UNC guard Cormac Ryan enjoyed a solid shooting effort in his first game against his former school. Ryan finished with 14 points, draining two 3-pointers and knocking down four of six free throws.
UNC is 12-4 when Ryan knocks down multiple 3s and 10-0 when Ryan attempts more than four free throws. It’s the type of effort UNC needs consistently in the postseason if the Tar Heels are going to make a deep run in the NCAA Tournament.
Harrison Ingram’s scoring ahead of Duke game
Harrison Ingram’s offense is picking up just in time for the postseason. After scoring a career-high 22 points against NC State, Ingram filled up the stat sheet with nine points and six rebounds in the first half as UNC carried a 16-point lead into the locker room against the Irish. He finished with 11 points and 14 rebounds.
Ingram has reached double figures in seven of the last nine games. He’s pulled down double-digit rebounds in six of those games.
Staff writer Rodd Baxley can be reached atrbaxley@fayobserver.com or @RoddBaxley on X/Twitter.
First appeared on www.fayobserver.com