Will Richard scores 22 points, No. 7 Florida holds off UNC rally to remain unbeaten with 90-84 win

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — Will Richard scored 22 points, Alijah Martin added 19 points and No. 7 Florida held off a furious second-half rally by North Carolina to remain unbeaten with a 90-84 victory Tuesday night in the Jumpman Invitational.

R.J. Davis had 29 points and eight rebounds for the Tar Heels (6-5), who battled back from a 17-point first-half deficit to take a four-point lead late in the second half.

Florida (11-0) jumped to a 35-17 lead after making 6 of 12 3-pointers, while UNC missed its first 11 shots from beyond the arc.

But the Tar Heels closed the gap to 12 at halftime and then started the second half on a 11-0 run after stepping up their defensive pressure, creating turnovers and cashing in on transition opportunities. The Tar Heels finally took the lead at 70-68 with 7:56 left when Seth Trimble came up with a steal and scored on a layup at the other end.

But Florida was strong down the stretch and Richard’s putback off an offensive rebound with 54 seconds left put the Gators ahead for good.

North Carolina guard Drake Powell (9) shoots after driving past Florida center Rueben Chinyelu (9) during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game in Charlotte, N.C., Tuesday, Dec. 17, 2024. (AP Photo/Nell Redmond)

Takeaways

Florida: The Gators were 11 of 32 from 3-point range and never panicked even as the Tar Heels rallied.

North Carolina: A lack of height continues to be an issue for the Tar Heels, but they made up for it in the second half with aggressive defense.

Key moment

Down by two, Davis missed an open 3. Florida got its own rebound on the next possession and Thomas Haugh made two free throws with 7.9 seconds left to put the game away.