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RJ Davis stats tonight - How did UNC star fare vs Florida? (Dec 17) 

RJ Davis and the North Carolina Tar Heels suffered their fifth defeat of the season on Tuesday night, losing 90-84 to the No. 7 Florida Gators in the Jumpman Invitational at Spectrum Center. The UNC star was one of four players to score in double figures for the Tar Heels, scoring a game-high 29 points in the defeat.

North Carolina Tar Heels guard RJ Davis (#4) reacts to his three-point play against the Florida Gators during the second half of their NCAA game at Spectrum Center. Photo: Imagn
North Carolina Tar Heels guard RJ Davis (#4) reacts to his three-point play against the Florida Gators during the second half of their NCAA game at Spectrum Center. Photo: Imagn

Davis shot 10-of-19 from the field and knocked down 6-of-7 free throw attempts. He struggled, however, with his outside shooting, going just 3-of-11 from beyond the arc. He finished the contest with eight rebounds and one assist. Davis was also active on the defensive end, recording four steals.

Seth Trimble, Elliot Cadeau and Ian Jackson helped carry the scoring cudgels for North Carolina, combining for 33 points in the loss. They each scored 11 points for the Tar Heels, who dropped to 6-5 with the defeat. That matches their second-worst start to a season after 11 games in modern program history. They have now lost in four of their last six games.

Below are Davis' stats from the game against the Florida Gators:

PlayerMINPTSREBASTFG3PTFTORB-DRBSTLBLKPFTO
RJ Davis36298110-193-116-70-84012

RJ Davis makes history in loss to Florida as UNC's second-half rally falls short

Davis made history against the Gators, passing the great Phil Ford for third place on the Tar Heels' all-time scoring list. He helped UNC stage a furious rally in the second half, scoring 16 of his 29 points during that period. North Carolina trailed 46-34 at the break but went on an 11-0 run to start the second period to cut Florida's lead to one point.

The Tar Heels finally took the lead with 7:51 remaining through a lay-up from Seth Trimble. The game went back and forth after that, with both teams trading leads in the closing minutes. The Gators kept their composure down the stretch, finishing the game on an 8-0 run to keep their unbeaten record intact. Florida has won its first 11 games by an average of 19.7 points.

Will Richard (#5) of the Florida Gators makes a three-point basket over RJ Davis (#4) of the North Carolina Tar Heels in the first half of their game during the Jumpman Invitational. Photo: Getty
Will Richard (#5) of the Florida Gators makes a three-point basket over RJ Davis (#4) of the North Carolina Tar Heels in the first half of their game during the Jumpman Invitational. Photo: Getty

Will Richard led the Gators, scoring 22 points and grabbing six rebounds. Alijah Martin added 19 points, while Walter Clayton Jr. and Denzel Aberdeen each scored 12 points for Florida.

Davis and Co. will look to bounce back when they take on the UCLA Bruins next at Madison Square Garden on Saturday.

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