Cade Tyson scores 23 points and North Carolina routs La Salle 93-67
North Carolina's Jalen Washington (13) loses the ball as La Salle's Demetrius Lilley, left, defends during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game in Chapel Hill, N.C., Saturday, Dec. 14, 2024. Credit: AP/Ben McKeown
CHAPEL HILL, N.C. — Backup guard Cade Tyson scored a season-high 23 points and made five 3-pointers in the Tar Heels' 93-67 victory over La Salle on Saturday.
Tyson shot 9-for-14 overall, including 5 for 10 on 3-pointers. He was averaging 2.7 points through UNC's first nine games.
RJ Davis scored 13 points, Seth Trimble had 10 points, eight rebounds and four assists, and Ven-Allen Lubin had 10 points for North Carolina (6-4).
North Carolina shot 58% in the second half and 54% overall despite unimpressive 3-point shooting (10 for 31) and poor free-throw shooting (11 for 23).
Demetrius Lilley had 16 points for La Salle (6-5) and Eric Acker had 13 off the bench. The Explorers shot 36% for the game.
La Salle took an early 8-2 lead before a 16-0 run gave North Carolina a 10-point lead with 12 minutes left in the first half. About five minutes later, Davis hit a 3-pointer that gave the Tar Heels a 27-16 lead and they led by double digits for the rest of the game.
Davis made three free throws, a layup and a 3-pointer in an 8-0 run that gave North Carolina a 23-point lead with 16 minutes remaining. Several minutes later Tyson hit a layup and a 3-pointer in a 7-0 run for the Tar Heels' largest lead, 78-45, with 8 1/2 to go.
North Carolina's Cade Tyson, center top, makes a layup ahead of La Salle's Demetrius Lilley (14) during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game in Chapel Hill, N.C., Saturday, Dec. 14, 2024. Credit: AP/Ben McKeown
New Tar Heels football coach Bill Belichick spoke to the crowd at halftime.
North Carolina leads the series with La Salle 3-1. They last met in 1988.
North Carolina has a couple of high-profile nonconference games remaining before Christmas: versus Florida on Tuesday and against UCLA on Dec. 21. Both games are at neutral sites.
