North Carolina Tar Heels guard RJ Davis. Bob Donnan-USA TODAY Sports

North Carolina's RJ Davis sets home scoring record in win over Miami

By Eric Smithling | Last updated 2/26/24

North Carolina guard RJ Davis etched his name into the program's record book on Monday night.

The Tar Heels senior scored 42 points in a 75-71 win over Miami, the most by a North Carolina player at Dean E. Smith Center in program history. Forward Tyler Hansbrough set the previous record at 40 points in 2006.

RJ Davis has a Smith Center-record 41 points tonight.

Tyler Hansbrough held the previous record with 40 against Georgia Tech in 2006.
— Carolina Basketball Stats & Info (@UNCMBBStats) February 27, 2024

Davis made a pair of free throws with 3:31 remaining to give himself the scoring record and North Carolina a 72-59 lead. Miami then went on an 11-0 run to make things interesting before Davis drained another freebie to help secure the win.

The senior guard has been the Tar Heels' best player this season, entering Monday averaging a team-high 21 points per game while shooting 39.9 percent from deep.

"It's his team," said fifth-year senior Armando Bacot in a recent ESPN.com profile.

Davis' production has helped North Carolina rebound from a humiliating 2022-23 season that began with the program ranked No. 1 in the Associated Press preseason top 25 poll and ended with it missing the NCAA Tournament.

No. 9 North Carolina (22-6, 14-3 in ACC) is a projected No. 2 seed in the East Region of Joe Lunardi's most recent Bracketology update (Feb. 23).

The Tar Heers are ninth in NET rankings. Their seven Quad 1 wins are tied with Arizona, Kansas and Houston as the third-most in the country.

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