Junior forward Garrison Brooks posted a double-double with a team-high 18 points and 11 rebounds on Friday night at the Dean Smith Center to lead the ninth-ranked UNC men’s basketball team to a 96-61 victory in an exhibition game against the Winston-Salem State Rams.

The game was the Tar Heels’ final tune-up before it begins the regular season with a bang on Wednesday, hosting Notre Dame in both the season opener and the ACC opener.

Freshman point guard Cole Anthony tallied 11 points and seven assists in his highly-anticipated debut, while graduate transfer Christian Keeling scored all 14 of his points in the second half of action.

Despite turning the ball over 23 times, the Tar Heels were able to overcome that by shooting 57.6 percent from the floor and holding Winston-Salem State to a 32.9 percent mark on the other end.

“Those of you that have been here for a long time like me know that the first thing I say is it’s a glorified practice,” head coach Roy Williams said afterwards. “It was a little frustrating at times. There are things we’ve been working on that I didn’t feel like we were emphasizing enough out there. But that’s the reason you have exhibition games.”

For the full final box score, click here.

 

 

 

Photo via Todd Melet

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