The Tar Heels, who raced out to a commanding 12-0 lead in the first six minutes and led by 16 at the half, withstood a Gator rally that cut the margin to seven with two minutes to go in the 75-64 victory.
“Our defense was in tune,” UNC’s Marcus Paige said regarding the quick start. “And we transferred the intensity from the previous (UCLA) game.”
He said that while he was happy with the way the team played in the last two games, he said he was frustrated that the Heels needed to learn a lesson by losing to Butler in the first round of the tournament.
All five starters scored in double figures for Carolina with Kennedy Meeks leading the way with 18 points and 13 rebounds.
Paige, who hit nine of 10 free throws, finished with 16 points while Austin Jackson, who had four steals, had 12 points including 8 while the Heels were surging out to a 25-8 lead.
JP Tokoto and Brice Johnson each added 10 points.
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