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For the fifth time in five games, North Carolina was pushed by a mid-major, but the No. 1 Tar Heels closed strong to escape Portland with an 89-81 victory on Thursday afternoon at the Phil Knight Invitational in Portland.
Pete Nance led UNC with 28 points while Caleb Love added 23 in addition to four assists. All five starters scored in double figures, as RJ Davis finished with 13, Leaky Black 11, and Armando Bacot 11. Bacot also had 13 rebounds and passed Kennedy Meeks on Carolina’s all-time rebounding list. He is now fifth in that department.
UNC will face Iowa State on Friday at 5:30 PM EST. The Cyclones edged Villanova, 81-79, on Thursday.
The Tar Heels improved to 5-0 while the Pilots dropped to 4-3.
Here are 5 Takeaways from UNC’s win over Portland:
