UNC shot 53% from the floor in their third straight win to open the season.
The Tar Heels put up 90+ points for the third straight game in a win over Long Beach State on Tuesday, but a sloppy second half kept the game from being the complete decimation it looked like it might be at the beginning. UNC shot 59% on their way to 50 first half points.
LBSU never got closer than 16 in the second half and couldn’t benefit from a lackluster effort from the Tar Heels after halftime because of their very poor first half. The 49ers made only eight of their 31 shots to kick off the game.
Joel Berry led the way with 23 points and two made three pointers. He was also a perfect 7-7 at the free throw line. Kennedy Meeks contributed 15 points and seven rebounds to the cause while Justin Jackson pulled down a team-high 10 boards to go along with his 14 points.
As for the bench, Tony Bradley was impressive in his 18 minutes of play, scoring ten points, accumulating five rebounds, and even dishing out an assist. He was 3-3 from the floor and 4-7 at the free throw line.
Some of Carolina’s sloppiness may have to do with the fact that they have played three games in just five days to open the season. The team will head out to Hawaii for a game against Hawaii before taking part in the Maui Invitational over Thanksgiving. They’ll have to do so without Luke Maye, however, as the sophomore is expected to miss the entire tournament with a sprained ankle.
