Talent, not effort, drove the No. 1 North Carolina men’s basketball team to a 92-65 victory against Fairfield Sunday night — but that might not be enough going forward.
The Tar Heels (2-0) dominated nearly every section of the box score, but that doesn’t tell the whole story. The top-ranked team in the country didn’t look the part early on, leading by just five over the Stags (0-2) at the under-eight media timeout.
The Tar Heels struggled to shoot the ball in the first half, both from the free-throw line and from 3-point range.
Despite poor shooting, UNC still clearly asserted itself as the better team. But the team’s talent was met by effort from Fairfield, and effort won out on numerous occasions.
UNC found itself in unfamiliar territory, as Fairfield pulled in more offensive rebounds than the Tar Heels — a battle usually won handedly by North Carolina.
But despite Fairfield’s best efforts, the Tar Heels could not be held back for long — exploding for a 52-point second half. After halftime, UNC found its stride and quickly galloped away from the Stags.
Against zone defense, which bothered the Tar Heels early, the shots finally started to fall. UNC leaned on sharp shooting from guards Nate Britt and Joel Berry to balloon its lead to as much as 31 points.
When the pieces fell in place, UNC looked like the No. 1 team in the nation. But going forward, UNC will need both talent and effort to continue its dominance.
