Gameday Live Blog/Open Thread: UNC at UNC Wilmington
Good evening from beautiful Trask Coliseum, where North Carolina will meet UNC Wilmington and longtime Tar Heel assistant coach C.B. McGrath.
Coming off Wednesday's victory over Notre Dame, Carolina (1-0) is favored by 22.5 points over the Seahawks, who took care of Johnson & Wales in their season-opener.
The obvious storyline is how Cole Anthony will follow up on his 34-point debut, but there are several other interesting points for the Tar Heels to follow tonight.
Check out Twitter for live updates, with deeper analysis and observation posted here throughout the game, and feel free to drop a comment below.
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PREGAME
UNCW students are just a little fired up for the third ranked opponent to ever visit Trask Coliseum.
Starters are posted, and it's the same group from Wednesday for Carolina.
FIRST HALF
18:43 — Cole Anthony didn't begin the game with his gogles tonight, so it's safe to say we've seen the last of them.
UNC began the game with a turnover, and it's very safe to say we haven't seen the last of those. Much to learn about valuing the basketball.
13:43 — Whew. We're off to an entertaining start. UNCW students have been loud and engaged, and so far, the Seahawks have been happy to play at UNC's pace.
After a rough shooting night on Wednesday, Justin Pierce is showing what he can do at 2/2 from 3-point range and 8 points.
Shykeim Phillips and Cole Anthony are going to battle.
11:52 — The Tar Heels have missed five straight field goal attempts. UNCW is not particularly good defensively, but they've been tough so far.
UNC relying a bit too much on individual offense and there's not much flow.
6:15 — Save for one lazy pass, a great four-minute run for Brandon Huffman with three rebounds and a block. Also altered a few other shots in the lane.
2:43 — Justin Pierce averaged 12 points and 6 rebounds against UNCW in Trask while he was at William & Mary, including a 23-point, 9-rebound effort in 2018.
He's at 13 points, 7 boards so far tonight.
HALFTIME: UNC 40, UNCW 29
- This is more like it for Justin Pierce, and scheduling this game could turn out to be a blessing for him. On Wednesday night, he didn't nearly look as confident as he should be. That changed tonight, coming into a building he's lit up before. So far, an excellent performance and the type of rebounding that Roy Williams needs out of a guy that will play the 3/4 spots for him.
- Scary scene for Armando Bacot, who left after taking an accidental shot to the head and didn't return to the bench in the first half. Tonight seemed like a prime opportunity for a big game against an undersized UNCW front line, but he picked up two fouls early and never got a chance.
- Cole Anthony hasn't had a great shooting night at 4/14, but he's made it count at 3/7 from 3-point range. UNCW has done a good job blanketing him so far and he's forced a few shots.
- Getting the ball to Garrison Brooks will be a priority in the second half after the big man got 10 points on 7 field goal attempts in the first half. The entire UNCW roster is headed toward foul trouble, and no one can stop him.
- Turnovers have been better for the Tar Heels with just five in the first half. In the exhibition and Notre Dame games combined, Carolina had 41.
- Shooting has been much worse, at 12/40, and the looks have been there. Just haven't gone in.
SECOND HALF
Armando Bacot isn't on the UNC bench and won't return tonight.
11:20 — It's gotten away from UNCW as the Heels have locked in defensively and keep pounding the ball inside. UNC leads it 59-42.
1:10 — The reserves are in, and UNC leads 78-58.