North Carolina Basketball: Tar Heels get by Lipscomb for first-round win

North Carolina started a little shaky, but they were able to pull away toward the end of the first half and never looked back in an 84-66 victory over Lipscomb.

North Carolina was making their 8th straight NCAA Tournament appearance and 14th overall under Roy Williams. The Tar Heels have won at least one Tournament game under Roy Williams. They certainly didn’t want to be the 2 seed to fall to a 15 this year.

It didn’t happen last season and some thought we are due. It’s also happened to Duke before (had to get that in there).

The thing about Lipscomb who’s making their first-ever NCAA Tournament appearance is that they play similar basketball as North Carolina. Both the Tar Heels and Bison like to push. Lipscomb averages 82.6 points per game and North Carolina is at exactly 82.

The Bison came out pushing. North Carolina knew they were going to expect that, but the Bison kept up. That’s probably what caught them off guard for a while. Shots were falling early and often for Lipscomb. North Carolina knew they were going to have to play in a track meet. It doesn’t bother them. They just weren’t expecting it.

Lipscomb came out hitting shots in transition and playing fast. UNC wasn’t expecting it and before they knew it, the Bison were ahead 21-15.

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The entire first half surge by Lipscomb was fueled by Kenny Cooper and Eli Pepper. Pepper grabbed four boards and scored five points in the first half. Cooper dropped 11 points with two three-pointers and shot four for seven from the field before halftime.

The sophomore guard for the Bison gave them its biggest lead in the first half with a three-pointer. North Carolina chipped away and got the lead back from paint points. Garrison Brooks had a solid game while Theo Pinson and Joel Berry drove.

Pinson is back and playing like he did before the Virginia game. The Cavalier just have that good of a defense. Lipscomb is a 15 for a reason too, but the senior was in control all game. He almost recorded a triple-double. Pinson dropped 15 points for the game, hauled in 10 rebounds and dished seven assists. He went six for eight from the field and was a factor in all phases of the game.

The turning point of the game came with just under three minutes left in the first half. Berry knocked down a three-pointer to give North Carolina a four-point lead. Cooper was able to hit a free throw, but Sterling Manley was left wide open underneath the basket for a dunk. The very next possession was a turnover by Lipscomb, Pinson went coast-to-coast for the second time in the half and gave UNC a seven-point lead.

The play of Manley and Brooks have really come on lately. It’s not overpowering like we’re used to, but it’s been better than anything we have seen all season. Both guys though took advantage of the smaller Lipscomb bench. They only have one guy coming off their bench who stands over six-foot-eight. The Tar Heels normally get two who play consistent minutes.

Manley recorded just his second career double-digit rebounding game as he hauled in 10 and scored six points. Brooks contributed seven, grabbed a rebound and dished three assists.

The Tar Heels just proved to be bigger, faster and more athletic once it got deeper into the game. All five starters were in double-digits. Kenny Williams led the way with 18 points while shooting four for five from downtown. Over half had to have been in transition which makes Williams so good.

Berry still struggled from behind-the-arc, but he found points on the dribble drive. The senior guard is known for having a great, clutch shot, but shooting two for nine in a Tournament game isn’t good. Obviously, he’s getting the ball in the closing seconds if it comes down to it, but in the meantime, he’s got other guys who can stroke it from deep.

North Carolina also got to Lipscomb’s high-powered offense and really made them struggle in the second half. The Bison shot just under 36 percent from the field. Their normal 20-point shooter, Garrison Matthews shot 3 for 14 from the field and was held to 8 points.

So this was expected. We’ve all seen the 15 beat the 2 before (Lehigh over Duke), but the chances of it happening is always not likely. The Bison played very nice in the first half and UNC was a little sloppy. It even got Roy Williams pretty hyper. North Carolina was able to bounce back and take care of yet another first-round game in the NCAA Tournament.

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It’s now onto the second round where they will play Texas A&M. The Aggies didn’t have a great performance early against Providence earlier on, but they were able to pull ahead.

Texas A&M has talent. They were highly recruited and the Aggies were a top-10 team earlier this season. They have had such a bipolar season and it showed against the Friars. I think if North Carolina plays their game by knocking down the outside shot, grabbing offensive rebounds and pushing in transition, they should advance to the Sweet 16.