Tar Heels take out UNC-G

Though North Carolina basketball coach Roy Williams would never admit it, the Tar Heels’ game against UNC-Greensboro Saturday night was supposed to be easy.

But, as has been all too evident this year, easy isn’t part of UNC’s vocabulary, and neither is “supposed to be.”

North Carolina has displayed two vastly different teams thus far, and it wasn’t clear which would show up against UNC-G, but by the end of the first half, it was apparent that the superior UNC was in the building.

Junior forward James Michael McAdoo said UNC’s eventual 81-50 slaughter of the Spartans was a much-welcomed relief in the middle of a tough schedule and equally tough final exams.

“It’s always nice,” McAdoo said. “No disrespect to UNC-G, we know all their plays, they know all our plays, but like coach said, we’re just more talented than them, bigger, taller. It feels good to come into a game like this where you know it’s mostly about us getting better as a team.”

After the Tar Heels knocked off No. 1 Michigan State Dec. 4, it was uncertain whether UNC would hold on to that momentum, especially after a loss to Alabama-Birmingham followed a similar situation against then-No. 3 Louisville Nov. 24.

“I was worried some, because we had a big win at Louisville and then we don’t play nearly as well with the activity in the next game,” Williams said.

All of that worry was for naught, and the Tar Heels gave Williams some relief, ending the half on a 27-3 run in the last nine minutes and 25 seconds.

Sophomore guard Marcus Paige attributed the streak to UNC’s stellar defensive performance — which forced 21 turnovers and allowed the fewest points for an opponent this season.

“Our defense really created that, but also just getting out on the break and pounding the ball inside to Brice (Johnson) and Kennedy (Meeks),” Paige said. “They had a size advantage and we just took advantage of it.”

UNC’s big men provided the Tar Heels with a clear advantage that they seized early and often. North Carolina had 40 points in the paint and 46 rebounds — split evenly on the offensive and defensive glass.

“It’s great to establish them inside, especially all three of them,” Paige said of Johnson, Meeks and McAdoo. “They were getting to the basket, getting to the free-throw line, controlling the boards — that’s big for our team.

“When we have multiple guys that can score inside it takes some pressure off our perimeter shooters. We don’t have to rely as much on me hitting a three or anything like that.”

Johnson said he was never worried about the game being another let down for the team, as UNC-G is too similar to the Tar Heels.

“The coaches always tell us they run everything just like us except for a couple plays,” he said. “It’s just like playing us.”

And though UNC has defeated itself on multiple occasions this season, this time, playing “us” was just how it was supposed to be.

sports@dailytarheel.com