GREENVILLE, S.C. — In its first postseason game since a national title loss, the North Carolina men's basketball team easily dispatched Texas Southern, 103-64, in the first round of the NCAA Tournament on Friday.
What happened?
The No. 1 seed Tar Heels (28-7) attacked the paint early and often against the undersized Tigers (23-12). Isaiah Hicks and Kennedy Meeks combined for UNC's first eight points, and the frontcourt tallied 19 of the team's 24 points through the first eight minutes.
No. 16 seed Texas Southern did hold an early advantage, punctuated by an alley-oop and a 3-pointer to take a 10-8 lead. But the Tar Heels took control with a 16-0 run, kickstarted by the assertive play of ACC Player of the Year Justin Jackson, who was the only non-post player to score for UNC until the closing seconds of the first half.
While the frontcourt commanded attention early, Jackson quickly made his presence known. After hitting a 3-pointer five minutes into the game, the junior wing hit four more late in the period to tie the UNC single-season record with 95 made threes on the year.
The second half showed little reprieve for the Tigers, who trailed by 25 points at halftime. The Tar Heels received a scare early in the half, though, when point guard Joel Berry rolled his right ankle and left the game. He eventually returned, but UNC turned to its second unit for much of the second period as its lead grew to as much as 42 points.
Who stood out?
As he has countless times this season, Justin Jackson stole the show.
The junior scored 21 points to lead North Carolina, hitting five 3-pointers in the first half to tie the UNC single-season record (95). He broke his previous career high for points in an NCAA Tournament game, and his 19 first-half points were his second most this season, just shy of a 20-point half in a Dec. 17 loss to Kentucky.
