Henson steps up, shuts down Hokies

Even the visually impaired might have known when John Henson touched the ball against Virginia Tech.
They would hear it.

For almost 10 minutes in the second half, Henson scored 10 of UNC’s 14 points in a stretch that saw the Tar Heels climb from a seven-point deficit to a 47-47 tie with six minutes remaining.

With each dunk, a roar echoed through the Smith Center as the lanky sophomore celebrated as he finally returned to the floor.

“You want to get the crowd into it because eventually they’re going to help you in some situations,” Henson said.

During that stretch every momentum swing for North Carolina was at the hands of the sophomore forward.

“John gave us a great boost,” UNC forward Harrison Barnes said. “I think we just definitely fed off his energy, you know, his inside presence, getting layups for us. That put us back in the game.”

After finishing the first half with five points, two rebounds and two blocks, Henson rebounded with 12 points, six boards and two blocks in the second half.

The difference?

“Just the intensity and playing harder,” Henson said. “They came out and hit us in the mouth and, you know, that’s what we want to do, so we took advantage of that.”

Henson found an intensity level in the second half that the Tar Heels were missing.

UNC was fumbling the ball, missing defensive assignments and turning it over. But when Henson turned it on, North Carolina did too.

UNC coach Roy Williams called his second-half play “sensational at times.”

Henson’s 17 points are his career best in an ACC game. He had 14 last year at Virginia Tech and at Duke.

Henson was at least an inch taller than all of Virginia Tech’s players, but his stilt-like arms added a few more inches.

His appendages forced the Hokies into cheap fouls on the defensive end of the court. Virginia Tech’s Jeff Allen and Terrell Bell picked up four and five fouls, respectively. He also finished the game with four blocks on the stat sheet.

With that length, he was able to execute his running hook shot at will, which worked for him a few times in the second half.

Aside from his electrifying dunks, Henson also made a few uncanny shots, though Barnes said they aren’t that uncanny for him.

“You know, John’s made some shots I don’t think Michael Jordan could have made, just with his length and some of the things he can do in the air,” Barnes said. “I was glad he was able to go out there tonight, be strong and just finish in the paint.

Henson said he was glad he could rejuvenate the team and help orchestrate the Tar Heels’ second-half run. But as for the shots Barnes referred to, he took a less serious tone.

“They always laugh at me because I make some crazy little shots in practice and things like that,” Henson said.

“It’s kind of funny that he said that, but I just try to play within myself and I’m kind of a weird, you know, kind of guy so my shots look a little bit different than everyone else’s.

Contact the Sports Editor at sports@dailytarheel.com.