Second Half Run Helps UNC Shake Off Slow Start Against College of Charleston

It wasn’t the prettiest performance, but the 16th-ranked UNC men’s basketball team used a 17-0 run early in the second half on Wednesday night at the Dean E. Smith Center to pull away for a 79-60 victory over the College of Charleston in what was the regular season opener for both teams.

That run came as a direct response to College of Charleston taking a 43-42 lead after erasing what had been a seven-point halftime deficit.

Freshman point guard Caleb Love led the Tar Heels with a team-high 17 points and four assists, while fellow rookie Day’Ron Sharpe came off the bench and had 13 points and 10 rebounds for a double-double in his first career college game.

The Tar Heels (1-0) needed that production from their young stars, as Preseason ACC Player of the Year Garrison Brooks struggled mightily offensively.

Brooks grabbed a team-high 11 rebounds, but had just six points and connected on only three of his 10 shots.

“We weren’t nearly as smooth offensively as I’d like for us to be,” UNC head coach Roy Williams said afterwards. “But during that stretch in the second half with the 17-0 run, I thought most of it was fueled by our defensive play.”

College of Charleston turned the ball over 15 times, with the Tar Heels turning those into 21 points on the other end. UNC also did plenty of damage at the rim, converting 17 offensive rebounds into a whopping 30 second-chance points.

In addition to Love and Sharpe’s performances, sophomore forward Armando Bacot had 12 points and eight rebounds. Freshman guard R.J. Davis also contributed 11 points as the fourth Tar Heel to reach double figures.

The first half saw UNC open the game on a 16-2 run, before allowing the Cougars to slowly chip away at the lead until they briefly pulled ahead on a three-pointer by Dontavius King with 15 minutes remaining.

It was the trio of outstanding freshmen–Love, Sharpe and Davis–that then stepped up and combined to score 12 of UNC’s 17 points in the game-changing run that allowed the Tar Heels to cruise to victory down the stretch.

“This team probably needed an exhibition game and a scrimmage, or two exhibition games, maybe more than any team I’ve ever had,” Williams said. “The whole thing was different.”

Up Next:

A trip to Asheville for the Maui Invitational awaits the Tar Heels, as they begin a gauntlet of three games in three days on Nov. 30 against UNLV. That game is scheduled to begin at 7 p.m.

Game Notes:

UNC is now 17-1 in season openers under Roy Williams.
The Tar Heels made just four of their 18 three-point attempts, which may not be a good sign for a team that struggled to score from outside last season.
Love did a great deal of his scoring from the free-throw line, converting on all eight of his foul shots despite going 4-for-11 from the field.
The Tar Heels outscored the Cougars by 27 points in the 21 minutes played by UNC senior guard Andrew Platek. No other UNC player had a plus-minus rating higher than 18 (Day’Ron Sharpe).

FINAL BOX SCORE

Cover photo via Scott Sharpe

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Second Half Run Helps UNC Shake Off Slow Start Against College of Charleston

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