For a few minutes late in the second half, there was a feeling of uneasiness in the Dean Dome on Monday night.

With North Carolina ahead for most of the game, Elon went on a run with RJ Davis off the floor. The Phoenix tied the game at 69 on a big three-pointer and then took the lead at 71-69.  But then Davis got back in the game and it was all Tar Heels over the final five or so minutes.

Davis scored five straight points to give UNC a 74-71 lead as part of a 21-2 run to close out the game and get a 90-76 win. And thankfully, Davis was there to save the day.

The veteran guard scored 24 points in the season opener to lead the Tar Heels and more importantly, avoid a major upset.

The Tar Heels controlled the game for most of the first half as Hubert Davis settled in with his rotations. UNC went with a starting five of Elliot Cadeau, Davis, Seth Trimble, Jae'Lyn Withers, and Jalen Washington. But it was Cade Tyson and Ven-Allen Lubin as the first off the bench.

With the Tar Heels holding a 51-39 lead at halftime, it felt like they were in control. But in the second half, UNC couldn't get to the basket and Elon was getting everything they wanted.

Add in the fact that UNC was 7-of-18 on layups and 4-of-7 on dunks, there were a lot of points left on the rim. Elon's zone defense also gave UNC fits as well in this one.

But that second-half push helped the Tar Heels get to 1-0 and hopefully woke them up as the season has started.

Cadeau finished the game with 17 points while Trimble added 15. Withers had a double-double with 10 points and 10 rebounds.

UNC now heads on the road to face off against No. 1 Kansas on the road Friday night.

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This article originally appeared on Tar Heels Wire : Tar Heels survive scare, hold off Elon to open season with win