UNC looking to rebound vs. Wake Forest
by Sharon Thorsland
North Carolina saw its four game win streak come to an end on Saturday in a brutal one-point loss to Stanford. The Tar Heels are looking to get back on track Tuesday night when they travel to Wake Forest to take on a tough Demon Deacons team. Saturday’s loss dropped the Heels to 12-7 overall and 5-2 in the ACC, while the Deacs (14-4, 6-1) have won five straight after beating Virginia Tech on Saturday. Tip-off is set for 9:00 on WBT.
Wake is led by a trio of talented players in Hunter Sallis, Cameron Hildreth and App State transfer Tre’Von Spillers. Sallis is the second-leading scorer in the ACC, averaging nearly 20 points per game, while Hildreth and Spillers combine for over 24 a contest. Slowing them down will be key in this one. Up until the Stanford game, the Tar Heels had been playing excellent defense – can they get back on track in this one?
The Deacs also play tough defense, they’re holding teams to under 66 points per game. But the Tar Heels rank second in the ACC picking up 82.3 points per contest, led by RJ Davis and freshman Ian Jackson, who had a tough outing against the Cardinal with just six points on 1-8 shooting. Davis dropped 36 against Wake last season, and the Heels could use another performance like that on Tuesday.
The last time these teams met last January it was UNC routing the Deacs by 21 in the Dean Dome, and the Heels have won 10 of the past 13 matchups. But they’ve lost three in a row at Lawrence Joel Coliseum, where Wake is undefeated at 9-0 this season. UNC will need a tremendous defensive effort in this one to end that streak. Go Tar Heels!
