No. 8 UNC brings hustle, intensity on glass in coasting to 113-96 win over N.C. State

Cameron Johnson jumped the passing lane and got a hand on the ball. He sprinted after the deflection, landing in the crowd. He couldn’t save the ball, but the play forced N.C. State into a short shot clock, and C.J. Bryce missed a rushed jumper.

It wasn’t glamorous, but it was exactly the type of play that won the North Carolina men's basketball team a 113-96 victory against N.C. State (16-7, 4-6 ACC) on Tuesday night. In a game where everything went UNC’s (18-4, 8-1 ACC) way, there were plenty of highlight-reel plays. Take your pick: whether it was UNC crossing the 100-point, biscuit threshold with more than 5 minutes remaining, a Nassir Little dunk, or one of Luke Maye’s numerous and-ones, there's a lot to choose from.

Yet, those plays aren’t what gave the Tar Heels the edge. One loose ball, one tip out, one second jump at a time, UNC squeezed the life out of N.C. State. 

“I feel like we were just energetic and we were just trying to beat them to the loose balls,” said Garrison Brooks, who finished with 10 rebounds and six assists to go with eight points. “Those 50/50 balls is what dictates games.”

The Wolfpack entered the night desperately needing a win. They had lost three of their last four games, including an embarrassing 47-24 showing against No. 11 Virginia Tech Saturday. UNC on the other hand, had just impressed against No. 16 Louisville on the road. Add in the rivalry factor, and this game had all the makings of a trap for the Tar Heels.

“We knew they would come out a little more fired up,” Kenny Williams said. “But you know, we just focus on what do, and control what we can control.”

It turned out that what North Carolina could control was the glass. UNC finished the with a 41-27 lead in rebounding margin and more offensive rebounds than N.C. State had defensive rebounds (14-13). 

Though Maye and Brooks finished with a combined 22 rebounds, they weren’t alone on the boards. UNC ended the first half with an unusually small lineup of Williams, Johnson, Little, Coby White and Brandon Robinson. Even that group didn't have trouble rebounding.

Robinson tossed up a 3-pointer and it missed the mark. Little was waiting underneath. He didn’t have position, but he got a finger on the rebound and tipped it up. On his second jump he was able to kick it out to Johnson, who found White for an and-one.

Hustle plays.

When an opponent has its back against a wall — like N.C. State, whose season now seems in serious danger of spiraling out of control — you had better finish them early. And that's exactly what North Carolina did.

With 5:42 remaining in the first half, Little caught a pass on the baseline, and his defender fell asleep. Against an athlete like Little, that’s a mistake. Little stepped by, drove the baseline, and finished an emphatic dunk at the rim. The very next play he came downcourt and drew a foul on a fast break. 

That sequence by Little came in the middle of a 14-4 run that gave UNC a dominating 56-40 lead at the half. After that, N.C. State never got close. Johnson knew the key to the run that put the game away.

“We had a lot of plays especially at the end of the first half, beginning of the second half where we just brought more energy than they did,” he said.

After the intermission, N.C. State’s resistance was non-existent. The second half started with more of the same, when White beat every player in red down the court to finish a fast break layup for the first points of the half. 

UNC didn’t let up. Maye went on a tear, finishing with 31 points. White threw in 21 of his own and UNC posted 113 points by the time the buzzer sounded — the most points UNC has scored in regulation of an ACC game since 1968. 

Yet, it all started with the hustle plays. And now that UNC looks like it has figured out how to bring a consistent energy to every game, White says this team is dangerous.

“I feel like that as long as we play hard and play with effort, everything else will take care of itself for this team.”

@holtmckeithan

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