UNC overcomes Cat Barber's 32 points to beat N.C. State 80-68

RALEIGH — For the first eight minutes Wednesday night, it was the Anthony "Cat" Barber show in PNC Arena.

N.C. State's best scorer showed how he’s been averaging a conference-best 23.1 points per game, draining seven of his first nine shots to rack up 16 points. 

But after the Wolfpack (14-14, 4-11 ACC) jumped out to a 23-10 lead with 12:08 left to play, Barber cooled off. Or the Tar Heels (23-5, 12-3 ACC) finally figured out how to guard him. Or some combination of the two.

Regardless, No. 7 UNC went on to outscore N.C. State 70-45 the rest of the way en route to an 80-68 win for the Tar Heels' second straight victory.

“I was really proud of our team ...” Coach Roy Williams said. “I knew they were kicking our tails, and the crowd was going crazy and they’re making shots. 

“But I was pleased with the way we just kept playing.”

Justin Jackson decided that instead of watching the best scorer on the court, he wanted to be the best scorer on the court. The sophomore led the Tar Heels with 14 points in the first half — 12 of which came in the final nine minutes — before finishing with 17. 

On the other end of the court, sophomore Theo Pinson decided he wanted to show off the athleticism and defensive potential that fans have clamored for. Though Barber finished the night with 32 points, he made just four shots Wednesday whenever both he and Pinson were on the floor together. 

“I just tried to give him a little room. He’s quick as — quick as a cat, basically," Pinson said.

“My length was able to bother him ... make him think about my close-out a little bit. Most of his shots, when I contested, were long. So of course he tried to put a little more on it, because my hand was there. I just tried to make his shot tough.” 

In Williams' mind, the game was won during that stretch after the 12:08 mark in the first half. That's when the Tar Heels began to turn things around.

N.C. State — or rather, Cat Barber — might have bested the Tar Heels for the first eight minutes of the game. But unfortunately for the red-clothed fans sitting in the red-lined seats, the final 32 minutes mattered just as much.

Quotable

“They came out on fire — scorching. Cat made everything; they got every offensive rebound to start the game. But the way we played down the stretch, the last 30 minutes of the game was fantastic. Kind of shut up the crowd, and didn’t give them much to cheer about the rest of the game.” — senior guard Marcus Paige on the win. 

Notable

Jackson has now scored in double-figures in five straight games for UNC. The Tar Heels are 4-1 during that stretch, with the sole loss coming at the hands of rival Duke in Chapel Hill. During that period, Jackson has hit 9-of-16 of his 3-point attempts to help improve an underwhelming UNC perimeter attack. 

Three numbers that matter

12: The number of shots that Barber made on the night. Fittingly, it was also the number of shots that his teammates combined to make on the night.

27.3: The Wolfpack's 3-point percentage on Wednesday. Though the Tar Heels have struggled to defend the 3-pointer all season, N.C. State knocked down just six of its 22 attempts from beyond the arc. 

22: Brice Johnson's point total in what might have been one of his quieter offensive games of the season. Throughout the game, it was Jackson and Barber who drew attention scoring the ball, but there Johnson was at the end of the game with 22 points and 11 rebounds — his 17th double-double of the season, most in the conference. 

What’s next?

The Tar Heels travel to Charlottesville, Va. to face No. 3 Virginia at 6:30 p.m. on Saturday. 

@CarlosACollazo

sports@dailytarheel.com