CHAPEL HILL N.C. - In a dominant performance, Armando Bacot led the way with 21 points and seven rebounds as No. 20 North Carolina defeated UC Riverside, 77-52, at the Smith Center on Friday night.

The Tar Heels' victory marked their third win of the season and concluded their three-game homestand to start the young season. The game also saw UNC's sophomore big man Jalen Washington shine off the bench with 11 points, including his first two career three-pointers.

UNC started the game strong, going on a remarkable 17-0 run in the first half that broke the game wide open. During this impressive stretch, freshman guard Seth Trimble showcased his skills with a layup in transition and a two-hand dunk, while Bacot stole the ball and finished with an emphatic and-one dunk.

However, UC Riverside managed to find their footing and closed out the first half on a 17-7 run of their own. The Tar Heels' lead was cut down to 37-26 at halftime after a layup by UCR's Barrington Hargress.

But UNC came roaring back in the second half, scoring the first 19 points and extending their lead to 30 points. Washington hit his second three-pointer of the night, and Bacot made a statement with a putback dunk and another dunk shortly after.

Despite their victory, North Carolina struggled with their three-point shooting once again. They shot only 28.6 percent from beyond the arc, with Cormac Ryan going 0-of-4 and RJ Davis missing his first five attempts. So far this season, the Tar Heels have shot 31 percent from deep.

In an interesting turn of events, North Carolina had to wear their road blue jerseys for the game. UC Riverside had a "supply chain issue" and only had white jerseys available. This marked the first time in recent history that UNC did not wear white at the Smith Center, with the last occurrence being a 2020 game against Duke.

Looking ahead, the Tar Heels will head to the Bahamas on Wednesday to compete in the Battle 4 Atlantis tournament. They will face Northern Iowa in their first game and then either Villanova or Texas Tech the following day. The tournament field also features Arkansas, Michigan, Memphis, and Stanford.

North Carolina's next home game is scheduled for November 29th against No. 7-ranked Tennessee in the inaugural ACC-SEC Challenge.