UNC basketball, Armando Bacot overpower Michigan in Jumpman Invitational

The too-small taunt was a fitting celebration for North Carolina basketball’s Armando Bacot on Wednesday night in Charlotte.

Michigan had no answer for Bacot in the Tar Heels’ 80-76 win at the inaugural Jumpman Invitational as he finished with 26 points and five rebounds.

Bacot made 11 of 15 shots, including seven layups and two dunks. The reigning ACC Player of the Week has scored at least 20 points and grabbed double-digit rebounds in three of the last four games.

“I think Armando’s been really, really good," UNC coach Hubert Davis said. "I think he’s been really good since the Georgia Tech game; I think he’s been at his best. … The way that he’s playing, he’s playing with a hunger and thirst.”

FRESHMAN X-FACTOR:UNC basketball’s Seth Trimble gives Tar Heels something they didn’t have during Final Four run

Junior guards Caleb Love and RJ Davis combined for 37 points to help UNC (9-4, 1-1 ACC) put a bow on its nonconference schedule with back-to-back victories against top-50 opponents in KenPom’s analytics rankings.

Davis had 19 points, six rebounds and five assists. Love added 18 points, five rebounds and four assists.

Here’s what stood out in Carolina’s victory against the Wolverines (7-4).

Tar Heels getting better at closing

Early in the season, UNC had a tough time closing out games.

The Tar Heels led late against Iowa State and Alabama before ultimately losing to start a streak of four straight defeats. UNC has flipped the script in its last two games against Power Five opponents, showing an ability to get to the finish line against Ohio State and Michigan.

The Wolverines made it a one-possession game three times in the final four minutes, and each time the Tar Heels answered. In the last two-and-a-half minutes, Bacot and Leaky Black made layups, Davis drilled a jumper and Love knocked down four free throws to keep Michigan at bay and seal the victory.

“Coach Davis said in the huddle that we’ve been in these positions and situations before, so it’s nothing new to us," RJ Davis said. "The way we executed and was able to get stops down when it mattered the most … we trust one another to go ahead and make a big-time play when it matters. We did that for the last two games.”

UNC’s best players bring their best

UNC’s best players played like it in the first half to give the Tar Heels a halftime cushion.

In a chippy first half that saw four players receive technical fouls, the physicality seemed to spark Carolina in the latter stages as the Tar Heels closed the half with a 13-4 run to take a 41-34 lead into the locker room.

“They were getting fired up, I was getting fired up – I like them when they’re fired up," Hubert Davis said of his team.

Bacot, Davis and Love combined for 33 points in the first 20 minutes to nearly outscore the Wolverines. Bacot had 14 points and four rebounds in 17 minutes.

Love tallied 10 points and Davis added a trio of treys, along with four rebounds and three assists, in an impressive first half for UNC’s terrific trio.

Tar Heels set for ACC grind 

With nonconference play in their rearview mirror, it’s time for the Tar Heels to focus on the 18-game grind of ACC play.

“We’re still a talented team – I think we’re the most talented team – but now we’re just trying to tighten those screws and just get better and better every day at our weaknesses," Bacot said.

"Once we keep chipping away at that, I think we can reach our full potential.”

In its final game of the calendar year, UNC travels to Pittsburgh (9-4) on Dec. 30 (Noon, ACC Network) before returning to Chapel Hill to face Wake Forest (9-4) on Jan. 4 (9 p.m., ACC Network) and Notre Dame (7-4) on Jan. 7 (11:30 a.m., ESPN2).

The Panthers (69), Demon Deacons (83) and Fighting Irish (101) are outside of the top 50 teams in KenPom’s rankings, so Carolina has a chance to add to its four-game winning streak before making the trip to Virginia (8-2) on Jan. 10 (9 p.m., ESPN/ESPN2) for a big-time matchup in Charlottesville.

When the team gets back together on Dec. 26, Hubert Davis said he'll shift his focus to Pittsburgh. But that can wait.

“Now, it’s on Christmas. I’m looking forward to going home and hanging out with the family,” he said with a smile.

Staff writer Rodd Baxley can be reached at rbaxley@fayobserver.com or @RoddBaxley on Twitter.

This article originally appeared on The Fayetteville Observer: UNC basketball: Bacot, Tar Heels beat Michigan at Jumpman Invitational