BREAKING: North Carolina Tar Heels Crush SMU Mustangs 82-67 in Dominant ACC Showdown at Dean Smith Center

### BREAKING: North Carolina Tar Heels Crush SMU Mustangs 82-67 in Dominant ACC Showdown at Dean Smith Center

 

**CHAPEL HILL, N.C. – November 21, 2025** – In a commanding performance that silenced any doubts about their early-season form, the North Carolina Tar Heels steamrolled the SMU Mustangs 82-67 on Tuesday night, never trailing once in their first-ever ACC clash as conference foes. Powered by a blistering first half where they built a commanding lead, UNC showcased stifling defense and red-hot shooting to hand the newcomers from Dallas a humbling defeat in front of a raucous Smith Center crowd.

 

Graduate guard RJ Davis, the preseason ACC Player of the Year, led the charge with a game-high 26 points, slicing through SMU’s defense with effortless mid-range pull-ups and timely threes. Freshman sensation Ian Jackson added 18 points, while fellow rookie Drake Powell erupted for 17 points – including four threes – in a breakout performance that highlighted UNC’s depth. The Tar Heels (10-6, 3-1 ACC) shot 47.4% from the field and drained 11 threes, turning what could have been a tricky matchup against a high-scoring SMU squad into a one-sided affair.

 

“This was the kind of complete game we’ve been building toward,” said UNC head coach Hubert Davis postgame. “Our defense set the tone early, and offensively, we shared the ball and knocked down shots when it mattered. RJ was RJ, but the freshmen stepping up like that? That’s huge for us moving forward.”

 

The game tipped off with fireworks from Elliot Cadeau, who buried a deep three on UNC’s first possession and followed it with a steal-and-score layup for a quick 5-0 lead. SMU briefly tied it at 6-6 behind Boopie Miller’s jumper, but that was as close as the Mustangs would get. Powell caught fire from the right corner, draining three straight triples in the opening half to spark a Tar Heels surge. By the under-12 media timeout, UNC led 23-13, and they never looked back.

 

SMU (11-4, 2-2 ACC), entering as the conference’s top-scoring team and a rebounding juggernaut, was utterly neutralized. The Mustangs shot a dismal 25% in the first half (8-for-32), including 2-for-11 from deep, as UNC’s defenders – led by the returning Seth Trimble, back from injury – clogged driving lanes and contested everything at the rim. Big men Ven-Allen Lubin and Jalen Washington won battles against SMU’s 7-foot-2 center Samet Yigitoglu, limiting second-chance opportunities despite SMU’s size advantage.

 

At halftime, UNC held a comfortable 39-24 edge, having outscored SMU 15-7 in the final eight minutes of the period while the Mustangs went 1-for-9 down the stretch. The Tar Heels’ ball movement was exquisite, dishing 17 assists on 27 made baskets, with RJ Davis contributing four dimes alongside his scoring barrage.

 

The second half saw UNC maintain control, pushing the lead to as many as 20 early on hot shooting (53.8% after the break). SMU made sporadic pushes – reserve Chuck Harris scored 18 off the bench, and B.J. Edwards added 15 – but couldn’t string together stops. Whenever the Mustangs threatened, Davis or Jackson answered with a bucket, and Powell’s fourth three quelled any momentum.

 

Defensively, UNC forced SMU into a season-worst 33.3% shooting (23-for-69) and just 4-for-18 from beyond the arc. The Tar Heels won the rebounding battle in spirit if not on the stat sheet (41-39 for SMU), holding the Mustangs to just 10 second-chance points. “We talked about matching their physicality,” Hubert Davis noted. “Our guys did that and more – no easy looks inside, no open threes.”

 

For SMU coach Andy Enfield, in his first year leading the Mustangs into the expanded ACC, it was a rude welcome to life against blue-blood programs on the road. “Credit to North Carolina – they were the better team tonight,” Enfield said. “We couldn’t buy a basket early, and against a team like that, you can’t spot them 15 points at half. We’ll learn from this.”

 

This wire-to-wire win marks UNC’s sixth victory in their last eight games, rebounding strongly from an earlier three-game skid that included tough losses to top-10 foes. With Trimble’s return adding defensive grit and the freshmen continuing to flourish, the Tar Heels look poised to climb the ACC standings.

 

Key stats told the story: UNC’s 11 threes to SMU’s 4, 26 points in the paint tied despite SMU’s height edge, and a whopping 17-7 assist advantage. Ian Jackson grabbed a team-high 7 rebounds, showcasing his all-around game.

 

Up next, UNC hits the road for a Tobacco Road rivalry showdown against NC State on Saturday, while SMU hosts Georgia Tech looking to bounce back.

 

This dominant performance reaffirms North Carolina’s status as a contender in the loaded ACC. If they bottle this first-half intensity – where they shot 50% from three and held SMU to 24 points – the Tar Heels could be marching toward another deep postseason run. Fans in Chapel Hill are buzzing: Vintage UNC basketball is back.

 

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