How UNC’s Harrison Ingram channeled sister’s trash talk into career game against Duke
Harrison Ingram answered a FaceTime call Wednesday morning. His sister — Duke volleyball player Lauren Ingram — smiled on screen. She teased him for losing to Georgia Tech and scoring just eight points on 3-of-14 shooting. Lauren talked trash all week.
He got the last laugh.
No. 3 UNC (18-4, 10-1 ACC) defeated No. 7 Duke (16-5, 7-3 ACC), 93-84, on Saturday, and Ingram played a key role in the victory.
The junior transfer from Stanford scored a season-high 21 points — including a career-high 5 3-pointers — pulled down 13 rebounds, dished out one assist, added four steals — and a block on Duke’s Tyrese Proctor, to which the crowd let out a collective “Ooooooh.”
Ingram looked over at his sister when he hit his last shot and mouthed, “I told you so.”
This was Ingram’s first 20-point game since North Carolina played UConn at Madison Square Garden, and it comes after five games since Jan. 1 when he shot worse than 40%.
“It’s just kind of taking a step away from the game and not thinking about it at all,” Ingram said. “It’s enjoying other stuff that I like to do, whether that’s playing chess, playing video games, hanging with my friends or just sleeping or watching Netflix. When I get my mind off the game, I go to the court and play free.”
Ingram’s performance featured a steal and layup in transition. He made a perimeter bucket in the first half and added a steal on the subsequent possession.
Then, over the course of 41 seconds in the second half, Ingram pulled down a defensive rebound on Kyle Filipowski’s missed shot. He added a long offensive board on the other end to keep the Tar Heels’ play alive, leading to Cormac Ryan’s corner 3 for a 13-point advantage.
Hubert Davis said he thought Ingram could “be really good,” knowing his size and versatility. He’s got presence in the lane, but he can spot up from the perimeter. Ingram can bring the ball up in transition, and he’s a great teammate.
“(He) just brightens the room as soon as he comes into it,” Davis said. “Our guys just love and enjoy being around him. I’m just so glad he’s at Carolina.”
Ingram and Armando Bacot combined for 49 points, 23 rebounds and six assists. Their contributions were imperative with Duke holding RJ Davis to four points in the second half and heavily guarding him the entire time. He went 23:33, between the first and second halves, without scoring.
Of UNC’s 19 field goals during that stretch, Ingram made six.
“We’ve got so many guys on our team that play hard. Harry, just his energy, his ability to do it all and make great plays like that; it was great,” Bacot said. “And for Cormac to step up and hit those big 3s, I think everybody played a huge role in us winning this game. That’s what made it so special.”
Ingram said after the game he hadn’t talked to his sister all day. He “didn’t want to hear any of her smack talk this morning.”
After the game, he joined more than 50 loved ones from across the country, including his AAU coach, and celebrated — even with Lauren.
The Tar Heels still have nine regular-season games on the schedule, but Saturday night? They had fun.
This story was originally published February 4, 2024 at 5:45 AM with the headline "How UNC’s Harrison Ingram channeled sister’s trash talk into career game against Duke."
