In its first home game of the season, the No. 6 North Carolina men’s basketball team defeated Chattanooga 97-57.
What happened?
North Carolina started the game disconnected. Nate Britt gave up two turnovers, UNC struggled with 3-pointers out of the gate and the team gave up eight turnovers in the first half with only four offensive rebounds. For most of the half, UNC engaged in a tight battle for the lead.
But as the first half began to wind down, the Tar Heels began to click. North Carolina went on a 15-6 run in the last five minutes of the half, which included threes from Joel Berry and Kenny Williams and baskets from Isaiah Hicks and Tony Bradley.
North Carolina continued its stellar play in the second half behind a strong performance on both ends of the court. The bench tacked on 39 points, and UNC totaled 50 points in the paint while shooting 46.7 percent from three to effectively put away the Mocs.
Who stood out?
One of UNC’s big question marks going into the season has been who would step up on the glass. On Sunday, Kennedy Meeks delivered. Meeks grabbed 12 rebounds and 14 points for his first double-double of the season.
First-year Tony Bradley impressed for the Tar Heels, with 12 points and eight rebounds. Bradley’s explosiveness is a good sign for the Tar Heels, who are lacking depth in the frontcourt.
As UNC’s big men made plays, Berry lead the team’s backcourt with 18 points and five assists. Kenny Williams and Justin Jackson also had strong showings, combining for 10 assists with strong defense from Williams and a dominant second half from Jackson.
