Three minutes and nine seconds into Saturday's game at the Smith Center, the North Carolina junior varsity men’s basketball team trailed Hargrave Military Academy 12-2.
The team does not scout its opponent before its games. Junior guard Zach Palmer and the rest of the Tar Heel starters were shellshocked by the pressure being applied by their opponent, and they were looking for answers early.
Into the game came first-year guard Brooks Palmer.
If Zach had learned anything about his younger brother in their first year wearing the same uniform, it was that the energy level of the game was about to increase dramatically. He was not the only one expecting this.
“Brooks usually does that. I can depend on Brooks for energy and to make something happen,” Coach C.B. McGrath said. “Sometimes good, sometimes bad.”
Brooks' first-half statistics — two points, five rebounds and three assists — showed he impacts every aspect of the game when he's on the floor. Despite his success, the team trailed 48-30 at halftime.
Despite improved play in the second half, the team was ultimately unable to overcome that deficit, losing the penultimate game of the season 92-78. The Palmer brothers finished the game with a combined 13 points, nine rebounds, four assists, two steals and three turnovers.
“They complement each other very well. Zach’s probably a better shooter. Brooks's probably a better scorer," McGrath said. "They are perfect to play with each other. Sometimes you have people that are the exact same, but their games just almost make each other complete.”
