The No. 11 North Carolina Tar Heels allowed Gardner-Webb to hang around longer than they should have but ultimately they didn't prove to be much of a problem with UNC winning their home opener 76-59.
No. 11 North Carolina vs. Gardner-Webb final score: Tar Heels cruise, 76-59
North Carolina toyed around with Gardner-Webb in the first half but by the end, it wasn’t even close with the Tar Heels taking their home opener, 76-59.
Grant Halverson
Sophomore forward James Michael McAdoo looked dominant with his minutes extended, contributing 26 points and 14 rebounds on 10-of-20 shooting. Senior Dexter Strickland also provided some steady play for this young team as he chipped in 13 points, three assists and three steals in his start at the two-guard.
One of the only real complaints for North Carolina was the defensive lapses shown by fifth starter Desmond Hubert. Gardner-Webb's 6'10 center Mike Byron got the best of Hubert on multiple occasions in the first half, helping him find the bench pretty quickly. Hubert finished the game scoreless with two turnovers and three personal fouls against four rebounds.
Overall, 13 different plays saw the court for UNC so it was pretty obvious Roy Williams was never too worried. With the loss, Gardner-Webb is now 1-9 all-time against ranked opponents.
See More:
