UNC-Navy Hubert Davis Q&A: 'Disappointed In How We Finished The Game'

CHAPEL HILL, N.C. – No. 18 North Carolina slid past Navy, 73-61, despite a late 15-0 scoring run by the Midshipmen, which dramatized the final minutes of UNC’s Tuesday night victory at the Smith Center. 

Ultimately, Caleb Wilson’s 23 points and 12 rebounds, combined with Luka Bogavac’s 16 points on 3-6 shooting from deep, were enough to outlast the late Navy push. Jarin Stevenson’s 11 points and Henri Veesaar’s 10 put four Tar Heels in double figures on the night. 

North Carolina held the Midshipmen scoreless for more than six minutes in the second half, forcing 12 straight Navy misses that helped the Tar Heels pull away in the second half. UNC held the Midshipmen to 21-of-69 (30.4 percent) shooting on the night, while the Tar Heels were 24-for-56 (42.9 percent) and 8-for-23 (34.8 percent) from three.

Watch Hubert Davis‘ postgame press conference from Tuesday night in full, and read some of his noteworthy comments below.

Players talked about a team meeting that was held after the game tonight. What are your thoughts on having a team that takes charge like that, even after a game they win but don’t think they played well? 

Davis: “I mean, that’s great that they’re communicating and talking amongst themselves. And you’re right. I think we had a 24-point lead, they went on a 15-0 run, and then down the stretch, 17-3. Was disappointed in how we finished the game. I felt like just the sustained energy in the first half wasn’t there, but I thought we picked it up in the second half. We were playing well, and just unfortunate that we didn’t finish the game better than the way that we did.” 

What are some of the things you’re looking forward to out of the upcoming trip to Fort Myers and building on the first five home games this season? 

Davis: “Whether it’s home or road, it’s much different than last year. Someone told me that our fourth or fifth game last year was in Hawaii, and our fifth game was in Maui last year. And so we’ve had five straight home games. I think the thing that I’m most excited about is not just focusing that we’re going to a neutral side or away from here. I’m excited that we get to practice on us. I felt like over the last two to three weeks, we’ve been practicing, but we’ve been preparing, having games on Friday and Tuesday, and Friday and Tuesday. I feel like there have been preparation practices as opposed to just focusing on us, and so not playing until next week, we’ve got a full week where we can work on us, and that’s the thing that I’m most excited about.” 

It feels like when Caleb Wilson dunks the ball, there is an energy it creates that other players aren’t able to reproduce. Why do you think that is? 

Davis: “I don’t know, but it is. His game ignites us. It ignites the crowd. It gets us going. It’s not a verbal rah, rah, but his game just does that. And in the second half, the plays that he made just instinctively, just brought everything up. That’s the type of person, the presence that he brings, but it definitely comes from his game.” 

You went deeper into your bench and more often tonight than in other games this season. What did you see from those guys who were able to get some of those minutes?

Davis: “Yeah, I mean, I played 11 guys and so a number of guys had an opportunity, a chance, to come in and make an impact out there on the floor. I felt like each one of them did something, whether it was offensively or defensively, that made a positive impact to help us pull away and help us win. It doesn’t work without our bench. I mean, we need a number of guys consistently playing at a high level, and I feel like we have a bench that can do that.”