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The Daily Tar Heel

Tar Heels avenge last year's loss in rout of UAB

After losing 59-63 to the Blazers in 2013, the Tar Heels got revenge in their 89-58 victory

Forward J.P. Tokoto (13) makes the dunk during the win against UAB.
Forward J.P. Tokoto (13) makes the dunk during the win against UAB.

In 2013's loss to University of Alabama-Birmingham, the No. 20 North Carolina men's basketball team lacked in three major areas: 3-point shooting, rebounding and effort.

The statistics deserved to be thrown into a trash can. In the 2013 loss, the Tar Heels shot just eight percent from behind the arc, were outrebounded 52-37 and as many players stated, the mindset was all wrong.

But in UNC’s (9-3) 89-58 victory over UAB (4-9) Saturday night, those areas were rectified. And to sophomore forward Kennedy Meeks, the first step was having more tenacity on the court.

“I just feel like we weren't into it emotionally (last year),” Meeks said. “Coach (Hubert) Davis said at halftime that you can’t play basketball without having any emotion and we didn't have any emotion back in Birmingham.”

Fast forward a year and a couple weeks to Saturday’s game, and the energy on the court became palpable.

The Tar Heels opened up the game on a 15-2 run and forced six turnovers during that stretch. Coach Roy Williams knew his team would come out with energy because of a reduced holiday practicing schedule.

“We should have (had energy) because we had so much time at home,” Williams said. “We haven’t practiced. They were shocked because the first night, Christmas night, at 9 o’clock, they probably thought I was going to kill them but I told them that wasn't the sensible thing to do.”

Second step: Improve the three-point shooting.

In 2013's game, the lone 3-pointer of the game came from junior J.P. Tokoto. But at the Smith Center Saturday, The Tar Heels rattled in seven 3-point baskets against UAB and shot a respectable 36.8 percent from behind the 3-point line.

“It’s big, because it’s been the one thing that’s we've been lacking the past couple years,” junior forward Brice Johnson said. "The point guards and the small forwards haven’t really been making as many shots as we would want them to. They were really knocking them down, so that’s a confidence booster for them. That’s what we need because it opens it up for everybody else in the post.”

The starting big men both benefited from the shooting display. Meeks put up 14 points and Johnson added 11 of his own.

Third step: Be big down low and take care of rebounding.

When UNC played UAB last December, the Blazers at that point led the nation in total rebounds, and it showed on the court. But going into the game this year, UNC was the second-best rebounding team in the nation.

As a result, UAB had no luck in the paint Saturday. UNC grabbed 44 rebounds compared to 33 for UAB.

“They really beat us (last year). They out-rebounded us 52-37. We heard those numbers a lot in the past couple days leading into practice,” junior guard Marcus Paige said. "So we knew what this team was capable of – we watched them in the Bahamas. We were ready to play and respond. We knew how important this was for us moving forward.”

With one more game left in 2014, the Tar Heels are solidifying themselves as a defensive team. The Tar Heels held UAB to 30.5 percent shooting and Kentucky is the only opponent to shoot over 40 percent from the field this season.

And with ACC play just around the corner, Johnson said UNC is beginning to grab the right amount of momentum for a 2015 run.

“It's a learning experience,” Johnson said. “The ACC is a whole different ball game. We just have to go ahead and finish out the preseason and be ready for the next challenge.”

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