UNC Defeats St. Bonaventure 81-66 in Fort Myers
FORT MYERS, FL – The University of North Carolina Tar Heels secured an 81-66 victory over the St.Bonaventure Bonnies Tuesday in the first round of the Fort Myers Tip-Off. The win moves Carolina too 5-0 on the season.
Key performances fueled the tar heel victory. Sean May led the team in scoring. Carolina dominated at the free throw line, going 21-for-27, while St. bonaventure managed only 5-for-8. Caleb Wilson contributed a double-double with 20 points and 12 rebounds, shooting a perfect 10-for-10 from the free throw line.
The first half saw a momentum shift after UNC built an early 24-14 lead, with the Bonnies responding with a 14-4 run.UNC committed 11 first-half turnovers, resulting in ten points for St. Bonaventure. While Caleb Wilson and Luka Bogavac were early offensive contributors, neither scored after the 11:39 mark. Carolina struggled from the field, making only three field goals in the final eight minutes of the half, but improved their ball-handling in the second half, committing just two turnovers.
Freshman derek Dixon provided a spark off the bench in the second half after Kyan Evans picked up his fourth foul. Dixon scored five points and dished out two assists in eight minutes, improving his plus/minus from -9 in the first half to +3.
St. Bonaventure shot over 41 percent from the field, breaking a recent defensive streak for UNC, which had held its previous three opponents under 35 percent. Darryl Simmons led the Bonnies with 22 points.
This was only the second all-time meeting between the two programs, with UNC also winning the first matchup 91-72 in the 1968 East Regional.
Former Duke standout Carlos Boozer was in attendance, observing his sons Cameron and Cayden, who currently play for Duke. Boozer is a scout for the Utah Jazz and resides in miami.
The Tar Heels will continue play in the Fort Myers Tip-Off against Michigan State on Thursday, seeking their first unbeaten multi-game Thanksgiving event as winning the Maui Invitational in 2016.
