Despite being the more talented team, North Carolina was up on Gardner-Webb by just two possessions midway through the second half. But then super frosh Cole Anthony reeled off 16 of his 28 points to lead the Tar Heels to a 77-61 home victory. (11\/15) <\/p>\n
Up 51-47 with over 10 minutes to play, Carolina went on a modest 7-0 run highlighted by a deep three from the left wing by Anthony to push the lead up to 11. <\/p>\n
Anthony later wowed the crowd with a step-back three as he was being double-teamed at the end of the shot clock.<\/p>\n
An Anthony dunk on a lob pass from Christian Keeling put the Heels up 70-57 with 2:44 to go. The largest lead of the game came after Shea Rush came off the bench to pop in a three from the corner with just 25 seconds left for the final 16-point margin.<\/p>\n
Carolina fans are already used to Anthony scoring but they certainly had to feel good about freshman Armando Bacot coming back from a concussion a week earlier to put 12 points on the board.<\/p>\n
Bacot also hauled in 11 rebounds but his performance didn’t much impress UNC coach Roy Williams who thought he could have done a lot more. “I didn’t feel like he played worth a darn,” Coach Williams said. “We can’t be the best team we can be if he doesn’t play better.”<\/p>\n
Careful not to diss Gardner-Webb, Coach Williams said his team is more gifted and taller yet the game was a two-possession game deep into the second half. He wasn’t pleased with Bacot’s ball control in the post.<\/p>\n
“I’ve got to stop bringing the ball down,” Bacot said. With his 6-10 frame, he could have scored more if he hadn’t gotten the ball knocked loose several times by not keeping the ball above the fray.<\/p>\n
There were five ties and eight lead changes in the first half as the Heels seemed sluggish. Keeling drove the right side of the lane for a bucket to put the Tar Heels up 26-24 with 3:21 left in the first half. While the game stayed close a little longer, Carolina never trailed again.<\/p>\n
Ahead just 30-27 at the break, UNC scored the first 11 points of the second half to get more control of the game. In the first minute, Keeling and Leaky Black hit jumpers.<\/p>\n
Behind Jose Perez, who led his team with 12 points, Gardner-Webb pulled back within four before Anthony took over to put the game away. <\/p>\n
The Tar Heels, 3-0, host Elon Wednesday night.<\/p>\n