National Basketball Association
North Carolina 83, Hawaii 68
When: 11:59 PM ET, Friday, November 18, 2016
Where: Stan Sheriff Center, Honolulu, Hawaii
Officials:
# Daryl Gelinas, # Gregory Nixon, # Tom Nunez
Attendance:
10300
By The Sports Xchange
Isaiah Hicks scored 16 points, helping No. 5 North Carolina start its tour of the Hawaiian Islands with an 83-68 victory over Hawaii late Friday night at the Stan Sheriff Center in Honolulu.
Nate Britt and Kennedy Meeks scored 13 points apiece and Justin Jackson added 11 for North Carolina (4-0), which dominated the glass. Tony Bradley had 10 points and 13 rebounds, becoming the first freshman since Brandan Wright in 2006-07 to score in double figures in the first four games of his career.
Noah Allen scored 22 points, Jackson Purchase 14 and Sheriff Drammeh 13 for Hawaii (2-2).
North Carolina coach Roy Williams didn't think his team played particularly well. The Tar Heels committed 16 turnovers and didn't shoot the ball well, especially early in the game.
"Tomorrow's practice is not going to be an easy one," Williams said.
The game tipped off at 8 p.m. Hawaiian Time, which is 1 a.m. in North Carolina. The late start could have been a factor for the Tar Heels, who missed seven of their first eight shots from the field but still jumped out to a 12-4 lead.
Hawaii got within one on a 3-pointer by Bocke Stepteau midway through the first half, but the Tar Heels mounted a 13-2 run to take a 30-18 lead on a dunk by Hicks, who was 7 of 8 from the field. The Warriors battled back to cut the deficit to three on a 3-pointer by Purchase, but the Tar Heels carried a 35-27 lead into the break.
Hawaii got within three on a jumper by Gibson Johnson early in the second half, but North Carolina responded with a 12-2 run to take a 52-39 lead on a 3-pointer by Kenny Williams. The Warriors cut the deficit to single digits on a 3-pointer by Allen and got within eight on a 3-pointer by Drammeh with 6:25 remainin before North Carolina outscored Hawaii 10-2 in the next two minutes.
The game gave Williams an opportunity to further assess the uncertainty at the shooting guard position. He said throughout the preseason that he was not sure who would be his primary shooting guard, a situation that became murkier when Theon Pinson was diagnosed with a stress fracture in a foot.
Williams started at shooting guard in the season opener. Britt started the second and third games.
Britt started again against Hawaii, finishing with a season-high 13 points on 5-of-9 shooting from the floor with three rebounds, three assists and two steals. Britt made 5 of 9 from the field and 3 of 5 from 3-point range. Williams had six points and three rebounds.
Brandon Robinson and Seventh Woods have also logged considerable minutes at shooting guard in the first four games. Woods have seven points and four rebounds. Robinson had five points, three rebounds and three assists.
North Carolina shot 47.8 percent from the floor overall, made 8 of 21 from 3-point range, and amassed a huge 43-18 rebounding advantage. Hawaii shot 43.3 percent from the floor and made 7 of 22 from beyond the arc.
The Tar Heels will take a brief flight to Maui for next week's Maui Invitational. The tournament will also feature Connecticut, Georgetown, Oklahoma State, Oregon, Tennessee and Wisconsin.
NOTES: G/F Theo Pinson and F Luke Maye missed the game with injuries. Pinson, who was expected to start at shooting guard, will reportedly miss another eight to 12 weeks with a stress fracture in his foot. Maye is out two to three weeks with an ankle injury. ... Hawaii announced Thursday that it had signed SF Samuta Avea, the fifth-rated high school player in the state of Utah, according to 247Sports. ... Hawaii and North Carolina met for the first time since 1994, when the Tar Heels handed the Warriors an 88-76 loss in their inaugural season at the Stan Sheriff Center.
Top Game Performances
| North Carolina |
|
Hawaii |
|
Isaiah Hicks 16 |
Scoring |
Noah Allen 22 |
|
Joel Berry II 6 |
Assists |
Noah Allen 3 |
|
Tony Bradley 13 |
Rebounds |
Ido Flaisher 4 |
|
Seventh Woods 4 |
Free Throws Made |
Jack Purchase 4 |
|
Nate Britt 2 |
Steals |
Sheriff Drammeh 3 |
|
Tony Bradley 1 |
Blocks |
Ido Flaisher 1 |
Team Stats Summary
| Team |
Points |
FG% |
3PM-3PA |
FTM-FTA |
Assists |
Rebounds |
Blocks |
Steals |
Turnovers |
| North Carolina
|
83 |
47.8 |
8-21 |
11-15 |
19 |
43 |
1 |
5 |
16 |
| Hawaii
|
68 |
43.3 |
7-22 |
9-11 |
12 |
18 |
2 |
7 |
14 |
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