National Basketball Association
North Carolina 97, Chattanooga 57
When: 4:00 PM ET, Sunday, November 13, 2016
Where: Dean E. Smith Center, Chapel Hill, North Carolina
Officials:
# Tim Comer, # Styons Raymond, # Ted Valentine
Attendance:
13402
By The Sports Xchange
There was plenty that looked good for North Carolina in another successful home opener.
Guard Joel Berry scored 18 points, and freshman post player Tony Bradley supplied a sampling of possible things to come as the sixth-ranked Tar Heels blitzed the Chattanooga Mocs 97-57 on Sunday in a Maui Jim Maui On The Mainland tournament game in Chapel Hill, N.C.
Bradley, a 6-foot-10 reserve, made a difference at both ends of the court, giving the Tar Heels another presence in the lane. He compiled 12 points and eight rebounds in 15 minutes.
"I'm not going to go overboard on Tony, but we love the package," coach Roy Williams said after North Carolina improved to 100-7 all-time in home openers.
Forward Kennedy Meeks finished with 14 points and forward Isaiah Hicks scored 11 of his 13 points in the first half, when the Tar Heels (2-0) shot 55 percent from the field.
Guard Kenny Williams had 11 points coming off the North Carolina bench. Swingman Justin Jackson added 10 points.
"We know we have a lot of players who can help us," Hicks said. "That's what you saw."
Meeks, a senior, became the 73rd player in Tar Heels history to reach the 1,000-point mark. He also pulled in a game-high 12 rebounds.
Guard Greg Pryor scored 17 points and guard Casey Jones chipped in with 10 points for Chattanooga (1-1).
The Mocs, who were coming off a season-opening victory at Tennessee, managed only 10 points in the first eight-plus minutes of the second half against what became an active North Carolina defense.
The Tar Heels' offense had numerous smooth stretches, perhaps heightened by the 26 assists attached to 34 baskets from the field.
Chattanooga's outcome two days earlier helped the North Carolina coaching staff get the Tar Heels' attention.
"They believed what we were saying," Roy Williams said.
Chattanooga's Tre' McLean, the preseason Player of the Year in the Southern Conference, shot 0-for-5 from the field and didn't score.
Chattanooga coach Matt McCall said he liked having the Mocs play in big-time atmospheres.
"In an environment like this, against a great team (you have to be sharp)," he said.
The Tar Heels used their size to chop down Chattanooga. Of the first 30 rebounds collected at North Carolina's offensive end, 16 of those were grabbed by the Tar Heels.
North Carolina produced a 21-5 spurt late in the first half to claim a 44-33 halftime lead.
Before that, it wasn't a great start for the Tar Heels, who were charged with four turnovers on their first 10 possessions.
Pryor had 13 of Chattanooga's first 21 points.
The only downside for the Tar Heels was that forward Luke Maye sustained a sprained left ankle in the second half and didn't return.
NOTES: North Carolina improved to 5-0 vs. Chattanooga, though the teams hadn't met since Dec. 5, 1997. That score was 68-38, with the Mocs nearly matching their total in the first half Sunday. ... North Carolina used senior G Nate Britt in the starting lineup after G Kenny Williams started the opener. ... The Mocs, who are the Southern Conference's preseason favorites, haven't defeated a nationally ranked opponent since an upset of Illinois in the 1997 NCAA Tournament. ... Chattanooga's 29 wins last year under coach Matt McCall marked the most in the country for a first-year coach last season. ... North Carolina is back in action Tuesday night at home against Long Beach State. ... Chattanooga plays its home opener Wednesday night against Hiwassee College.
Top Game Performances
| Chattanooga |
|
North Carolina |
|
Greg Pryor 17 |
Scoring |
Joel Berry II 18 |
|
Rodney Chatman 3 |
Assists |
Joel Berry II 5 |
|
Justin Tuoyo 9 |
Rebounds |
Kennedy Meeks 12 |
|
Justin Tuoyo 2 |
Free Throws Made |
Joel Berry II 6 |
|
Greg Pryor 3 |
Steals |
Kenny Williams 3 |
|
Justin Tuoyo 3 |
Blocks |
Kennedy Meeks 3 |
Team Stats Summary
| Team |
Points |
FG% |
3PM-3PA |
FTM-FTA |
Assists |
Rebounds |
Blocks |
Steals |
Turnovers |
| Chattanooga
|
57 |
34.9 |
7-27 |
6-9 |
11 |
27 |
4 |
7 |
26 |
| North Carolina
|
97 |
48.6 |
7-15 |
22-32 |
26 |
47 |
4 |
14 |
15 |
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