North Carolina is running Maryland out of the Smith Center.
At halftime, UNC leads the Terrapins 42-20.
The Tar Heels ran Roy Williams’ system better than they have all season. They constantly pushed the pace offensively and dominated in transition. And they played aggressive defense and kept their hands active on every possession.
UNC outscored Maryland 8-0 on the fast break and forced 15 turnovers, which the Tar Heels turned into 14 points. In Williams’ run-and-gun style — which UNC has not executed especially well this year — those types of numbers are the recipe for success.
Dexter Strickland capped the half with a monster dunk with five seconds left. With Maryland looking for the last shot, Strickland stole the ball near halfcourt with less than 10 seconds left, took it to the hoop and jammed it home.
But it was Reggie Bullock who led the way offensively. Bullock had 21 points in 17 minutes. He shot 6-of-9 from the field and 3-of-4 on 3-pointers. He hit six of seven free throws. The 21 points are two shy of Bullock’s career high of 23.
North Carolina also held Maryland star center Alex Len to just four points. Desmond Hubert, James Michael McAdoo, Joel James, and Jackson Simmons all contributed against Len on the defensive end, denying the Terrapins’ seven-footer the ball and forcing him into several bad shots.
The half began and ended with the Smith Center crowd roaring and on its feet. The Tar Heels started the game on an 8-0 run in the opening minute-and-a-half and forced Maryland into an early timeout. And Strickland’s dunk in the closing seconds brought the house down.
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