UNC has a 37-34 lead at halftime after leading by as many as 13 in the first half. Both teams used 11-0 runs during the opening 20 minutes.
First-year Nassir Little spent a stretch in the first half providing the entertainment for the Smith Center crowd. The forward drove through traffic before rising up over 6-foot-10 forward Mfiondu Kabengele for a powerful one handed dunk to put UNC up, 19-15.
After a Florida State turnover, junior guard Brandon Robinson hit a three to give UNC its largest lead to that point, a 22-15 advantage. A couple minutes later, Little had the crowd back on its feet as he was fouled on a put-back layup to extend the lead to 11, despite missing the free throw.
Little finished the half with a team-high 11 points and five rebounds.
With 3:03 to play in the half, a David Nichols three trimmed UNC’s lead down to two before a pair of Coby White free throws cut off the 11-0 run.
At the end of the half, White, a first-year guard, fouled Nichols with two seconds to play. Nichols hit both, sending the teams to the locker room with the Tar Heels leading 37-34.
The Tar Heels continue to struggle from beyond the arc, shooting just 2-11 from three in the first half. They were 2-20 in their win against Duke on Wednesday.
