It took a little while to shake the rust off, but the ninth-ranked Tar Heels ultimately cruised to a 91-80 victory over the Barton Bulldogs on Friday night at the Dean Smith Center–their last preseason exhibition before opening up the new year against Northern Iowa on Nov. 10.

Junior forward Luke Maye led UNC with 18 points and 11 rebounds in just 20 minutes of playing time, as head coach Roy Williams had 10 players see at least 13 minutes of action.

With senior point guard Joel Berry watching from the bench with a broken hand, the Tar Heels led just 37-34 against the overmatched Bulldogs as time ticked down in the first half.

Over the final six minutes of the half, however, seven different players scored as UNC reeled off a 19-5 run to break the game wide open.

Joining Maye in double figures for the Tar Heels was a list that includes: Theo Pinson (14), freshman forward Garrison Brooks (13) and newly acquired graduate transfer Cam Johnson (11).

In Berry’s absence, freshman Jalek Felton dished out seven assists while turning the ball over just once.

The Tar Heels also had an impressive 57-37 rebounding advantage, as each of their young big men put their significant size advantages to good use.

It may not have been the most impressive showing in the world, but this is still the time of the year for teams to iron out their issues before the real games get underway.

Up Next:

UNC will host UNC-Wilmington, UNC-Greensboro and East Carolina at the Smith Center on Nov. 5 in a four-team exhibition meant to raise money for the NC Disaster Relief Fund.

 

 

Photo via Todd Melet

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