UNC men's basketball uses first-half run to top Tigers 68-59

CLEMSON, S.C. — North Carolina’s men’s basketball team started faster than usual on its way to beating Clemson 68-59 Thursday night.

Sophomore James Michael McAdoo scored under the basket to give UNC a 38-24 lead at the half and put a final emphasis on the Tar Heels’ dominating first half.

“In the first half I thought we did some pretty good things; we just took a little bit too quick 3-point shots a couple of times,” coach Roy Williams said.

The Tar Heels made six of 15 3-pointers before halftime. Marcus Paige, P.J. Hairston, Reggie Bullock and Leslie McDonald all scored from behind the arc in the first half.

That powerful play helped UNC (20-8, 10-5 ACC) push five players into double digit points for the night, but it didn’t result in a second half that matched the first.

“In the second half we got away to 15 or 16 — whatever the highest lead was ­— then we just sort of screwed around with it and about messed it up,” Williams said.

Clemson (13-14, 5-10) capitalized on the Tar Heels’ slower second half to bring its deficit to only seven points with one minute left in the game.

Even though Bullock and McAdoo each missed a free throw in that last minute, UNC held on for the win.

Senior Dexter Strickland used the fast-paced game to his advantage and tied his season-high scoring output with 16 points.

Thirteen of UNC’s points came off the fast break.

“I’m confident in those shots, and I feel like if I drive, to try and get the team more involved, it opens the floor even more for everybody,” Strickland said.

Bullock, McAdoo, Hairston, Paige and Brice Johnson also all scored on layups to help the Tar Heels take control of the game with their speed.

“We scored some pretty good shots on the breakaway, and I think that was huge for us to get it to that largest margin,” Williams said. “You take away our layups, we didn’t have the best shooting night.”

North Carolina had 22 rebounds in the first half, but only nine in the second half.

Missed opportunities on the glass could be attributed to the Tar Heels’ recent change to a smaller lineup, but Williams said the switch was not the cause of the problem.

“I’m not going to accept it, because tonight it was lack of effort,” Williams said. “If we try to box a guy out and they beat us to the ball, then I can accept it. But we were very inadequate on the backboards to say the least.”

But even with the shortcomings on the glass, Williams is glad to record a ninth-straight 20-win season.

“I’m proud of the record. I’m proud of my team — it wasn’t the smoothest start this year,” he said. “We’re happy to get an ACC win on the road, there’s no doubt about that.

“But boy, we finished the game about as ugly as you can finish it.”

Contact the desk editor at sports@dailytarheel.com.