After coming out to a late start, the North Carolina men’s basketball team went on a 41-6 run in the second half and beat UNC-Pembroke 100-58 in an exhibition game Friday at the Dean Smith Center.
The preseason No. 1 Tar Heels trailed the Braves for most of the first half, but with 2:40 left before intermission coach Roy Williams subbed in three freshmen, and alongside sharp shooting from Reggie Bullock and P.J. Hairston, the trio helped UNC gain a lead it would never again lose.
The 14-0 North Carolina run before halftime seemed to create a spark, and after halftime UNC showed the domination it lacked in the opening minutes.
Senior forward Tyler Zeller led the team in scoring with 18 points, and freshman forward P.J. Hairston was close behind with 17. Hairston, a 6-foot-5 freshman from Greensboro, hit four of eight shots from behind the arc.
Williams was impressed with Hairston’s play, both offensively and defensively.
“The first seven times I ever saw him play, he took a charge in every game,” Williams said. “He’s better defensively than people give him credit for. He’s a better passer. He still needs to do a better job of putting the ball on the floor, but I thought he did some good things.”
The Tar Heels’ will compete next Nov. 11 in the Quicken Loans Carrier Classic, which will take place on the U.S.S. Carl Vinson in San Diego, Calif.
