CHARLOTTE – UNC basketball did it with its defense Wednesday night at the Spectrum Center.

The 11th-ranked Tar Heels smothered the seventh-ranked Sooners in a 81-69 wire-to-wire victory at the Jumpman Invitational. UNC (8-3) knocked Oklahoma (10-1) from the unbeaten ranks with its best defensive half of the season.

After allowing 44 points in the first half against UConn and 40 points in the first 20 minutes against Kentucky, the Heels hounded the Sooners and limited them to 28 first-half points.

UNC finished with a season-high 10 steals, scoring 24 points off 18 Oklahoma turnovers. The Heels led by as many as 15 points in the second half and saw its advantage trimmed to five before sealing the top-10 nonconference victory.

RJ Davis paced the Tar Heels with 23 points as one of four UNC players in double figures.

UNC keeps Oklahoma on its heels with fast-break points

Oklahoma didn’t allow more than 31 points in the first halves of its previous four games against Power Five competition. The Tar Heels had 31 with five minutes left in the first half.

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UNC’s quick hands and shiftiness on defense allowed the Heels to get out in transition as they finished with a 18-9 advantage in fast-break points. The Sooners allowed an average of 64.5 points in four wins against P5 opponents before UNC blew by that number with six minutes left in the game.

Armando Bacot makes 3-pointer, gets back on track

The loudest cheer of the night came when Armando Bacot found himself alone in the corner for a wide-open 3-pointer with just over 12 minutes left. Without hesitation, Bacot pulled the trigger and buried it to fire up the fans and Tar Heels. It was his second trey of the season and third of his career. After matching a career-worst performance with six turnovers against Kentucky, Bacot bounced back with 14 points, eight rebounds and three blocks.

UNC basketball racks up blocks, steals against Sooners

Oklahoma fumbled the basketball throughout the first half, finishing with 10 turnovers. UNC took advantage, scoring 14 points off those turnovers to take an eight-point lead into halftime. Davis continued to lead UNC in scoring with 10 points in the first half, but he also had three of the Heels’ seven steals. Harrison Ingram had the other four as UNC built a 12-point lead. The Heels also had six blocks, including three from Bacot.

UNC hosts Charleston Southern before ACC play

The Tar Heels host Charleston Southern on Dec. 29 (8 p.m., ACC Network) before shifting to the bulk of the ACC schedule.

Staff writer Rodd Baxley can be reached at rbaxley@fayobserver.com or @RoddBaxley on X/Twitter.

This article originally appeared on The Fayetteville Observer: UNC basketball leans on defense, RJ Davis to knock off Oklahoma