UNC, having had only six home games due to COVID issues, went out and picked up a last-second non-conference game with Northeastern and picked up an impressive 82-62 victory. (2/17)
Coming off a game where no Tar Heels scored in double figures, four scored in double figures in this one with two others close behind. Day’Ron Sharpe, off the bench, led the way with 15 points while Kerwin Walton, who hit three triples, was close behind with 14.
Senior Garrison Brooks accomplished a double-double with 11 points and a game-high 13 rebounds while freshman Walker Kessler added 10 points.
Northeastern’s Tyson Walker kept the game close for most of the first half as he scored 21 of his game-high 27 points. Carolina led just 28-26 with five minutes left in the first half but the Heels closed out the half on a 13-4 run.
Freshman point guard Caleb Love started the run as he drove the lane for a bucket and then dished to Sharpe for a give-and-go dunk. Senior Andrew Platek scored Carolina’s next six points in three different ways to give the Heels a 10-point cushion at 38-28. Platek hit an 18-footer, then got an offensive rebound and put it in at close range before he picked off a pass and went in for a layup.
Up 41-30 at the half, the Heels quickly worked the lead up to 15 as Walton completed Carolina’s first four-point play of the season when he was fouled on a three-pointer from the top of the key to go up 45-30.
The second-half lead never got below nine points – and that was just for a few seconds – and got up to as many 22 points.
A 14-4 Carolina run midway through the second half seemed to expose a tired Northeastern team. “I really liked that Day’Ron (Sharpe) and Walker (Kessler) came off the bench for us and got double figures,” UNC coach Roy Williams said adding that it’s important to get more production from the bench later in the season when guys start getting tired.
What the players have really gotten tired of is having games postponed or canceled. The game against Northeastern came about after Virginia Tech canceled its game at UNC due to COVID. Carolina’s game against Louisville is now in question as the Cardinals are undergoing some COVID issues while next Tuesday’s game against Boston College was canceled because of that program’s COVID issues.
Coach Williams said the Tar Heel players want to play. “They’re tired of listening to me and running sprints and things,” he said.
UNC improves to 13-7 while Northeastern, which is an impressive 8-2 in the CAA, falls to 9-8 overall.
Stay tuned as the Tar Heels continue to look for home games to play.
For a box score and more on the game, please click here.