That’s the way most thought North Carolina would play this season. The Tar Heels got a complete game, and Cole Anthony’s best effort, as they whipped Syracuse 92-79 in New York.
“Our guys battled them as hard as we could,” Syracuse coach Jim Boeheim said. “They played the way they are capable. They’ve got everybody back and healthy. They’re a good team.”
Boeheim’s assessment wasn’t exactly correct as UNC starter Armando Bacot hurt an ankle in the first half and didn’t play in the second.
Up by five at the half, Carolina opened it up in the second half with leads as high as 16 points on several occasions.
On four different occasions, UNC’s Christian Keeling scored points to put the Heels up by 16. The first came on a triple from the right corner that put the Heels up 64-48 while the last came on a three from the left corner that put the Heels up 83-67 with 5:37 left.
Keeling came off the bench for 18 points. “We practiced getting good, high quality shots all week and that’s what we did today,” Keeling said. “We took good shots and we hit good shots.”
Cole Anthony probably had his best game as a Tar Heel as the freshman shot well – going seven of 11 from beyond the arc and eight of 13 overall – scoring 25 points. He also had his best game as a floor general with seven assists, two steals and just two turnovers.
Garrison Brooks was actually the Heels top scorer and rebounder with 26 points and 14 rebounds. Brooks, who has struggled from the free throw line over the past month, hit eight of eight from the line and he was nine of 14 from the field.
“You know what I’m going to say,” UNC coach Roy Williams said during the post-game news conference. “Everything looks better when the ball goes in the basket.”
Carolina shot 88 percent from the foul line, 42 percent from beyond the three-point line and nearly 52 percent from the floor.
The Tar Heels nearly opened it up in the first half, going on a 16-0 run to go up 33-17, again on points from Keeling – a baseline jumper. But after a timeout, Syracuse, led by the coach’s son Buddy Boeheim, who scored 11 points in less than four minutes, cut the deficit to just four at 36-32.
But with Keeling’s timely shots, Anthony’s dagger threes and Brooks dominance inside, the Heels put up their most consistent effort of the season to put away Syracuse, who falls to 16-13 and 9-9 in the ACC.
Carolina, now 12-17 and 5-13 in the conference, hosts Wake Forest Tuesday on Senior Night. The Tar Heels end the regular season at Duke Saturday, March 7.
For a box score and more on the game, please click here.