No. 4 North Carolina could have beaten anyone in the country the way it played Tuesday night in Hawaii, rolling past previously unbeaten Oklahoma State 107-75.<\/p>\n
On offense the Heels set the pace, moved well and threw crisp passes while on defense the Heels were quick and aggressive. <\/p>\n
“We were diving on the floor and really getting after it,” said Joel Berry, who led the way with a career-high 24 points. “We showed we can compete with high-calibre teams.” <\/p>\n
Coach Roy Williams said he was impressed with Oklahoma State’s high energy level in the Cowboys’ first game of the tournament. “They got our focus,” Coach Williams said, adding that his team was able to match that energy level. <\/p>\n
“It’s still so early but I like the way we played,” Coach Williams said. <\/p>\n
Six UNC players scored in double figures. After Berry’s 24, Justin Jackson scored 22, Tony Bradley and Isaiah Hicks tallied 13, Nate Britt added 12 and Kennedy Meeks finished with 10. <\/p>\n
The Heels outshot the Cowboys 58 percent to 36 percent and outrebounded their opponent 47-31.<\/p>\n