Joel Berry and Kenny Williams turned Maples Pavilion into their own personal playground Monday night, as the Tar Heel backcourt duo combined for 49 points in No. 9 UNC’s impressive 96-72 road victory over the Stanford Cardinal.
Shortly after draining one of his six first-half three-pointers, a big smile crept across Williams’ face as headed back down court on defense.
It was that kind of night for he and Berry both, as the two guards—who have each battled injury issues in the past year–stepped up in a big way to help UNC (3-0) defeat a Stanford team (3-2) coached by former Tar Heel assistant Jerod Haase.
Joel Berry finished with 29 points against Stanford, just two points shy of his career high. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez)
Williams—who scored all of his career-high 20 points in the first half against Stanford–missed the second half of last season with a torn meniscus.
Berry fought off nagging ankle issues to win the Final Four’s Most Outstanding Player Award, and was then forced to miss most of preseason practice and this year’s season opener with a broken hand. After struggling to make shots in his return last Wednesday against Bucknell, he returned to his old ways on Monday. The Florida native ultimately finished with a team-high 29 points—just two shy of his career high.
Stanford hung around initially but couldn’t quite keep up with the firepower of head coach Roy Williams’ backcourt over the long haul.
“I thought Kenny was absolutely sensational,” the elder Williams told reporters. “And the best thing about it is that he was not selfish for one second during the course of the game.
“He [went] 6-for-8 from three in the first half, 7-for-10 total,” the coach continued. “And he took one shot in the second half. I can’t say enough about what he did for us.”
Perhaps the most surprising element of UNC’s dominance was that it came without the production that has come to be expected of junior forward Luke Maye.
The Huntersville native became the first Tar Heel to open the year with back-to-back 20-point games since Tyler Hansbrough, but Stanford limited him to just 12 points on 15 shot attempts–eight of which came after halftime.
Theo Pinson scored seven of his nine points in the second half, while freshman guard Jalek Felton came off the bench to score all five of his points—including a rim-rattling dunk—in the final two minutes.
UNC junior Kenny Williams scored all of his career-high 20 points in the first half in the Tar Heels’ win over Stanford, and attempted only one shot after halftime. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez)
Kenny Williams and Berry were the main catalysts in helping UNC built a 14-point halftime lead, but they eventually ceded the spotlight to their teammates as the Tar Heels refused to let up over the final 20 minutes.
“Once you see a couple go in, you just keep shooting and the basket keeps getting bigger,” Kenny Williams said after the game. “I’ve actually never made that many threes in so little time of a game. Ever.”
It was by far the best UNC has looked to this point in the young season, which bodes well for the team’s upcoming appearance in the PK80 Tournament in Portland.
That event was put together to celebrate the 80th birthday of Nike founder Phil Knight, and of course happens to feature some of the best teams in America—a list that includes Duke, Michigan State, Gonzaga, Oregon and Florida.
Despite losing guard Cam Johnson for at least the next month with a knee injury, Berry’s return—coupled with the much-improved play from veterans Maye and Kenny Williams—still has UNC looking like it’s on track for a successful Thanksgiving road trip.
Once the younger Tar Heels match that level of play, their coach will feel the same.
“You go through this, you feel good about being 3-0,” Roy Williams said. “I’ve seen some good things, but the freshmen have got a long way to go. Before the end of the year they’ll either get better or I won’t have gray hair—because I won’t have any at all.”
Up Next:
The Tar Heels will play three games in three days once they arrive in Oregon, beginning on Thanksgiving Day against the University of Portland. Tip-off for that game is set for 2:30 p.m.
Game Notes:
- Kenny Williams scored each of UNC’s first 14 points to begin the game, a spree that included four three-pointers.
- Williams and Berry combined to go 11-for-17 from three-point range, with the rest of the team going 0-for-7.
- Ten different players scored for the Tar Heels, a list that did not include freshman forward Garrison Brooks–who has started in each of the team’s first three games.
Cover Photo via Marcio Jose Sanchez (Associated Press)
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