RALEIGH — At one point during Saturday’s game against Providence, Brice Johnson turned to Marcus Paige, confident his roommate and fellow senior knew what he was thinking.
Playing in the second round of the NCAA Tournament for the final time in their North Carolina careers, the duo had watched as the Friars imposed their will, making the Tar Heels play slower and more physical.
But this wasn’t the type of game UNC wanted. And to prevent Providence from also dictating the final outcome, Johnson and Paige knew what they needed to do.
“Both of us felt like it was our time to take over,” Johnson said. “I was like ‘Hey, it’s gotta be me and you.’ You put us in a two-man game it’s very hard to guard. You can play me or you can play him. Pick your poison.”
And in the top-seeded Tar Heels’ 85-66 victory, Johnson and Paige provided the ninth-seeded Friars with a heavy dose, scoring 16 straight points for UNC midway through the second half to propel their team to the Sweet 16 for the second straight year.
The seniors’ pivotal plays came after Tar Heels opened the game flat, prompting Roy Williams to yell at his players to “wake up” less than two minutes in.
While North Carolina struggled to score, Providence’s Kris Dunn and Ben Bentil took advantage. They combined for 19 points in the first half, and they celebrated and exchanged words with the Tar Heels after each shot.
Although UNC eventually found its offensive rhythm and entered halftime with a 34-30 lead, they did so without Paige, who sat the final 6:05 of the first half with two fouls.
“I’m almost never in foul trouble, so it was weird for me,” Paige said. “And then I came out and made two horrible passes early in the second half. It was like I was disconnected from the game.”
