Marshall helps lead UNC past South Carolina

LAS VEGAS, Nev. – Despite jumping to an early 20-6 lead against South Carolina in the Las Vegas Invitational on Friday, No. 1 North Carolina couldn’t seem to put the Gamecocks away.

At intermission, USC had a 24-13 rebound advantage, and just when the Tar Heels would begin to pull away in the second half, the Gamecocks would claw their way back in the game with a timely 3-pointer.

But as proven by his third double-digit assists performance in five games, Kendall Marshall’s helping hands were just what the Tar Heels needed to create the needed distance and earn the 87-62 victory.

With less than 14 minutes left in the game, a USC 3-pointer brought South Carolina within 10 points.

For the Tar Heels, the Gamecocks were too close for comfort. And Marshall, who finished the game with 14 assists and six steals, sensed Harrison Barnes wanted to do something about it.

“He was all the way across the court and I can remember how badly he wanted the ball,” Marshall said. “I think our team has full faith that he’s going to make those shots when he takes them.”

With an assist from Marshall and a flick of his wrist, Barnes hit a 3-pointer to inflate UNC’s lead once again.

But the sophomore forward still wasn’t quite done.

After grabbing a defensive rebound and a pass from Dexter Strickland, Barnes scored his second-straight bucket with a leaping dunk.

Barnes, who finished with a team-leading 21 points, and freshman guard P.J. Hairston, who sunk five 3-pointers against USC, might be the ones credited with many of the baskets. But Strickland said the Tar Heels wouldn’t be where they are without Marshall’s precise passing.

“(His assists are) a big addition to the team,” Strickland said. “I think it’s the main reason we’re blowing teams out…He does a great job of getting the ball up the court, and finding guys in their comfort zones.”

In the first 10 minutes of the game, South Carolina coughed up the ball 12 times, and in the first half, the Tar Heels scored 18 points off turnovers.

But the Gamecocks – who shot almost 48 percent in the first half – weren’t ready to call it a night.

“They kept coming back and making plays that kept us uncomfortable,” UNC coach Roy Williams said. “I was never worried about the outcome of the game, I was just concerned about how we played.”

Williams said he felt the team didn’t play particularly well against South Carolina, and he noted that Marshall, among others, needed to improve defensively.

The point guard’s sharpness, though, was not overlooked by his coach. Williams was quick to point out Marshall’s leadership and brilliance against the Gamecocks.

As for Marshall, he’s not so sure he deserves that kind of credit.

“I’ve said it before, I do the easy part,” he said. “I just have to give (my teammates) the ball. They have to make the shot.”