UNC men's basketball tops Indiana in Sweet 16 behind sharp 3-point shooting

PHILADELPHIA — Barely 30 seconds had gone by in Friday’s Sweet 16 contest between top-seeded North Carolina and fifth-seeded Indiana when Marcus Paige drained a 3-pointer from the top of the key.

The shot represented the first points of the game for either team, but in the long run, it signified much more.

After struggling for much of the season from behind the arc, Paige’s 3-pointer marked the first of 11 made by UNC on Friday night at the Wells Fargo Center, as the Tar Heels rolled past the Hoosiers 101-86 to advance to the Elite Eight.

Paige was the catalyst of North Carolina’s assault from beyond the perimeter, making his first four 3-pointers to give UNC (31-6) an early 14-8 lead.

Sophomore wing Justin Jackson and junior guard Nate Britt also chipped in during the first half, combining to make three 3-pointers. Britt’s 3-pointer with 2:56 left before halftime gave the Tar Heels a 50-34 lead and tied the team's season-high for first-half points.

North Carolina entered the locker room with a 52-41 edge and having made 7-of-8 3-pointers.

The second half started similarly to the first for the Tar Heels. Paige made his first 3-point try about two minutes in before Joel Berry drained his first two shots from behind the arc.

Berry’s second 3-pointer of the game came shortly after Indiana pulled within 15 points — a mark the Hoosiers wouldn’t reach again until 11 seconds remained.

And after igniting North Carolina’s hot 3-point shooting, Paige made the 11th and final 3-pointer of the night for the Tar Heels with 2:47 left, as UNC ran out the clock to advance to the Elite Eight for the first time since 2012.

Quotable

“As a shooter, when you get the first one to go down, it's always kind of a good thing for your confidence. And then I was able to get free a couple of times right after that and get pretty good looks at the rim, which are hard to come by sometimes as a six-foot guard. So that really helped me get going. And I think other guys fed off that. And we shot the ball better than we have been shooting the ball, so that always helps against a team that can really score.” — Paige on his team’s shooting display on Friday.

Notable

With 20 points and 10 rebounds, senior forward Brice Johnson recorded his 22nd double-double of the season, tying Billy Cunningham for the most in UNC single-season history. Cunningham accomplished the feat in 1964.

The Tar Heels advance to the NCAA regional final for the 27th time in program history and for the seventh time in 12 NCAA Tournament appearances under Roy Williams.

Three numbers that matter

6: Paige went 6-for-9 from behind the arc, tying his season-high for made 3-pointers and matching the UNC record for an NCAA Tournament game.

12: North Carolina finished the game 11-for-20 on 3-pointers. The Tar Heels boast a 12-0 record when they’ve attempted 20 or more 3-pointers.

21: UNC converted 12 Indiana turnovers into 21 points. The Hoosiers’ first seven turnovers led to 15 points by the Tar Heels, and Indiana’s miscues helped spark North Carolina’s transition game.

What’s next?

The Tar Heels will face sixth-seeded Notre Dame in the Elite Eight at 8:49 p.m. on Sunday. The Fighting Irish defeated UNC 80-76 during the regular season before North Carolina beat Notre Dame 78-47 during the ACC Tournament semifinals.

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