Hubert Davis Reflects on North Carolina's Win Over East Carolina

The North Carolina Tar Heels defeated the East Carolina Pirates 99-51 on Monday night at the Dean E. Smith Center.

It was a complete outing for the Tar Heels, who led by 19 points 10 minutes into the game, which demonstrates how dominant they were throughout the course of the game. North Carolina had four players with at least 12 points, which had not been a feature of the team in recent weeks.

While speaking with the media during his postgame press conference, head coach Hubert Davis shared his thoughts on the Tar Heels' performance in the blowout victory.

Davis' Thoughts

Dec 20, 2025; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; North Carolina Tar Heels head coach Hubert Davis on the sideline against the Ohio State Buckeyes in the first half at State Farm Arena. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn Images | Brett Davis-Imagn Images

"I felt like we were consistently in transition," Davis said. "I felt like we got back to our transition, pass-break game, like we did against Ohio State, and I felt like we took levels up tonight. Obviously, it depends on getting stops and getting rebounds, but I felt like we consistently had five guys sprinting to the offensive end. We were living in transition."

"I think it's the fourth straight game we've had 20 assists or more, so just sharing the basketball and being in a good spot in terms of getting everybody involved," Davis continued.

Dec 22, 2025; Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA; North Carolina Tar Heels forward Caleb Wilson (8) celebrates during the first half against the East Carolina Pirates at Dean E. Smith Center. Mandatory Credit: Scott Kinser-Imagn Images | Scott Kinser-Imagn Images

Although the opposing team was not the caliber of some of the squads the Tar Heels will face in ACC play, North Carolina maintained a consistent performance throughout the entirety of the game. After scoring 49 points in the first half, the Tar Heels totaled 50 points in the second half.

Davis signaled that it could be development and growth for the team, which is monumental with conference play starting next Tuesday.

"That's growth," Davis said. "Early in the year we had 11 new players and were still figuring out roles, rotations and lineups, with injuries mixed in. One thing we've talked about is getting to a level — but staying at that level."

Dec 22, 2025; Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA; North Carolina Tar Heels guard Derek Dixon (3) brings the ball up court against the East Carolina Pirates during the second half at Dean E. Smith Center. Mandatory Credit: Scott Kinser-Imagn Images | Scott Kinser-Imagn Images

"We knew East Carolina had come back in games before, so it was important for us to put together two solid halves," Davis continued. "Regardless of the score, I felt like we were locked in and focused on getting better, understanding that every minute matters for the growth of this team."

"I learned this from Coach [Dean] Smith and Coach [Roy] Williams — everyone on the team has an important role in making the team the best it can be," Davis concluded. "It doesn't matter if you're a starter, coming off the bench, don't play minutes or you're a walk-on. It is important to bring your giftedness to the circle in order to make this team complete."

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