Loyola, MD at UNC: Gameday Live Blog
The Hubert Davis era starts for real on Tuesday night when the Tar Heels open the 2021-22 season at home against the Greyhounds of Loyola, Maryland.
The Heels are coming off of a 28-point blowout of Elizabeth City on Friday in the team’s only exhibition game. Carolina was led in that game by its graduate transfers. Dawson Garcia, a Tar Heel by way of Marquette, had a team high 17 points. Brady Manek, a former Oklahoma Sooner, added 16, tying Armando Bacot for second most on the team. Former UVA Cavalier Justin McKoy didn’t fill it up shooting, but he had six rebounds, and some of UNC’s top moments came when the three grad transfers were on the floor together.
The experienced players appear to be ahead of the freshmen in the rotation. D’Marco Dunn and Dontrez Styles didn’t enter the game until late in the second half and logged a combined 12 minutes and four shots from the field.
The Greyhounds were 6-11 last year, 4-10 in the Patriot League. Loyola lost four players who averaged more than 20 minutes, including NBA Draft pick Santi Aldama, just the third Patriot Leaguer ever selected in the Draft. Loyola is led by two senior guards—Jaylin Andrews and Kenneth Jones, as well as junior Cam Spencer.
Your starters: Leaky Black, Caleb Love, RJ Davis, Armando Bacot, Brady Manek.
Your officials: Mark Schnur, Sean Hull, Anthony Franklin
He's a Manek-mong boys! Brady starts the season with a three-pointer.
UNC's first three shots are all from three. Two go in. 6-0 Heels. Time out Loyola.
Dawson Garcia enters at 16:07 to make his official UNC debut. Heels up 15-3.
Carolina with seven points off turnovers and eight fast-break points in the first four-plus minutes.
Justin McKoy makes his UNC debut with just over 12 minutes left in the half. All three transfers now on the floor with UNC up 11.
McKoy feeds Garcia who is fouled at the rim. He'll shoot after the under 12. UNC up 20-9.
At the under 8, UNC is up 30-17. Loyola not going away after getting overwhelmed a bit at the start.
UNC up by just one on the boards, 12-11. Carolina has gotten just 1 offensive rebound (in 12 opportunities)
Funny moment: After Loyola got two offensive boards on one possession, Hubert Davis took off his glasses, then very carefully put them on the scorers table. Then he turned, clapped his hands and yelled at the team.
UNC leaving a lot of points at the line. Currently shooting 9 of 17 from the stripe.
Loyola hit with its second lane violation of the half. One at each end.
UNC goes to the half up 45-31. Rebounds are dead even. UNC hasn't added any fast break points or points off turnovers since their 8 and 7 four minutes in.
UNC with two quick turnovers and two quick fouls coming out of halftime. Not the start Davis was looking for, I'm sure.
Two subs for UNC, less than two minutes in. Heels promptly get back-doored by Loyola, then Garcia travels.
Loyola layup and RJ Davis fouls (his second). Greyhounds will shoot the and-one after the under 16, looking to cut it to single digits. 49-39.
Love also has two fouls and Bacot has three.
Davis picks up his third shortly after play resumes.
Manek with a pair of layups playing the post, then picks up a charge at the other end. UNC up 53-41, 14:08 left.
Walton for three, then Love hits a layup and the foul. Time out Loyola with Love headed to the line. UNC up 58-41 after the mini run.
Tar Heels have been short at the rim all night. Love has been the biggest culprit but he's far from alone.
Under 12 timeout comes at under 11. UNC is up 63-46. Heels had built it to 20 before a 5-0 Loyola run.
Under 8, Carolina now up 72-51 after a flurry of threes. Twice, RJ Davis has dribbled around on the perimeter, then shot a three. Walton has done it once. Two of the three shots have gone in, but it's odd to see them shooting without running some type of offense first.
UNC with another run to go up 79-53. Loyola calls time just before the under 4.
The freshmen are set to make their debut at the next dead ball.
And that'll do it. UNC wins 83-67.
