A 27.5-point favorite at home, No. 9 North Carolina remarkably trailed Elon by two points with under seven minutes left Monday night.
Cue RJ Davis.
The fifth-year senior All-American sank a floater in the lane and swished a 3-pointer from the right corner on back-to-back possessions and UNC surged to a 90-76-win in the season opener for both teams in Chapel Hill, N.C.
The Tar Heels ended the game on a 21-5 run. They scored 11 consecutive points after falling behind 71-69 with 6:48 left on a pair of free throws from TJ Simpkins.
That spurt, which spanned three minutes and six seconds, allowed the Heels to avoid an embarrassing loss to an in-state opponent that ended last season with a 13-19 record, including 3-12 on the road.
Elon trailed by as many as 16 points in the first half and 69-57 with 10:58 left before ripping off a 14-0 run that included a pair of 3-pointers from Nick Dorn.
Dorn finished with 17 points, including 5-for-10from 3-point range. Simpkins led the Phoenix with 18 points off the bench, Sam Sherry added 15, and Simpkins’ twin brother TK chipped in 14.
UNC also had four starters score in double figures, led by Davis with 24 points. Davis, the preseason ACC Player of the Year, made only 7-of-19 field goals, but all seven free throws. He also had seven assists and seven rebounds.
Backcourt mate Elliot Cadeau posted 17 points and eight assists (seven of them in the first half), Seth Trimble scored 15 points and Jae’lyn Withers notched 10 points and 10 rebounds.
UNC shot only 40 percent. Elon shot 42.6 percent, including 44.8 percent (13-of-29) from behind the arc.
The Heels led 51-39 at the half after taking their largest lead, 42-26, on Ian Jackson’s 3-pointer from the left corner with five minutes left. Davis dished to Jackson on the fast break, giving the Heels 12 assists on their first 16 field goals.
Elon responded with a 13-2 run, including three 3-pointers and five points apiece from Nick Dorn and TK Simpkins, before Carolina closed the half with a 7-1 spurt.