The No. 9 North Carolina men's basketball team beat Monmouth, 102-74, inside the Smith Center on Wednesday night. Justin Jackson led UNC with 28 points.
What happened?
After a slow start, North Carolina was able to pull away with a 21-14 lead with 13:31 left in the first half. UNC was able to capitalize on Monmouth’s sloppy play and silence its notoriously rowdy bench.
Jackson drained a pair of 3-pointers in 30 seconds with six minutes left in the first half to further distance the Tar Heels from the Hawks. But slow play and shooting beyond the arc allowed Monmouth to pull within reach. After a buzzer beater by Monmouth guard Micah Seaborn to end the first half, the Tar Heels entered the break with a 50-41 lead.
Another Jackson 3-pointer jumpstarted the second half and ended Monmouth coach and former UNC player King Rice’s hopes of an upset in his return to the Smith Center.
Once again, strong defensive play in the second half proved to be the key to success for the Tar Heels and allowed the unit to overcome 11 turnovers. With 16 minutes left in the half, Monmouth earned three technical fouls, allowing the Tar Heels to jump ahead to a 64-46 lead.
Amid chants of “We want biscuits,” senior guard Kanler Coker sunk his three free throws to put the Tar Heels over the 100-point mark, receiving the loudest cheers of the night.
Who stood out?
Jackson had a game to remember, leading the Tar Heels with 28 points. His six 3-pointers, with five coming in the first half alone, gave the Tar Heels the momentum to overcome some slow and sloppy play at times.
