Chapel Hill, N.C. - The No. 19 North Carolina Tar Heels secured a convincing 90-68 victory over the Lehigh Mountain Hawks, thanks to a stellar performance from Armando Bacot and RJ Davis. Bacot's impressive 22-point, 20-rebound effort, combined with Davis' 22 points, propelled the Tar Heels to their second win of the season.

As the most experienced players on the court, Bacot and Davis took charge from the beginning, leading their team to a comfortable conclusion. Davis, reflecting on their leadership role, stated, "Us being veterans and experiencing success and also going through those hardship games, we just have to pull guys along with us."

North Carolina broke away from Lehigh after the Mountain Hawks came within three points in the second half. The Tar Heels capitalized on their advantage, outscoring Lehigh 23-3 at the free-throw line. Harrison Ingram also contributed 14 crucial points for North Carolina.

Bacot's remarkable performance marked the third time in his career that he recorded 20 points and 20 rebounds in a single game, reaching the 20-rebound mark for the seventh time. Remarkably, he achieved a career milestone by setting the school record for offensive rebounds, surpassing Tyler Hansbrough with 487.

Coach Hubert Davis acknowledged Bacot's exceptional contribution, stating, "It is what is required and needed to be the best we can be. There's a sense of urgency that I haven't seen in him."

Keith Higgins Jr. played a strong first half for Lehigh, scoring 14 of his 16 points. Tyler Whitney-Sidney also provided 10 points for the Mountain Hawks, but it wasn't enough to match the dominant performance of the Tar Heels.

Lehigh coach Brett Reed praised his team's competitiveness, saying, "I thought our team competed to get ourselves in a competitive situation. Being down three against a very good team is a promising sign... But unfortunately, it felt like Carolina just kind of overpowered us."

North Carolina held a 43-34 halftime lead which shrunk to 53-50 early in the second half. However, a series of fouls committed by Lehigh provided North Carolina with numerous opportunities at the free-throw line. RJ Davis, with his calm presence on the floor, kick-started a 9-0 run with two free throws.

Bacot acknowledged the maturity of their team and their ability to execute the game plan, saying, "I think that spoke to the maturity of our team to be able to execute the plan and bring it up a notch."

In addition to his scoring prowess, Bacot showcased his skills on the defensive end, recording six offensive rebounds in the first half alone. With this, he extended his career total and claimed the school record for offensive rebounds.

Lehigh, coming off a loss against Penn State, faced a tough challenge against North Carolina as part of a challenging opening week of the season. The Mountain Hawks showed promise but will need to find additional sources of offense beyond Higgins to secure victories.

North Carolina, on the other hand, relied heavily on Bacot's dominance in the paint for the second consecutive game. Their comfortable margin of victory was once again attained through a strong second-half performance.

Looking ahead, Lehigh is set to face Division III Oneonta (N.Y.) State on Thursday night. North Carolina will continue their campaign on Friday night against UC Riverside.

In conclusion, No. 19 North Carolina showcased their strength and experience, led by the outstanding performances of Armando Bacot and RJ Davis, as they cruised to a resounding win over Lehigh.