It wasn’t the season-opener Tar Heels fans were hoping for, but last night UNC beat UNC-Wilmington 69-56 to begin their campaign to Houston. It was a scrappy affair, with 42 total fouls called, and a final whistle well after 11pm.
UNCW wanted to establish a physical presence, and full-court pressed Carolina for most of the game, then swarmed double-teams on Armando Bacot whenever he had the ball in or near the paint. With Mr. Double-Double one rebound shy of a double-double thanks to foul trouble—Bacot had four fouls and only wound up playing 28 minutes, lowest of the five starters—and the Tar Heels generally eschewing the three-point shot (the Heels were 2-10 for the night), it needed a steady hand to guide them through a rocky opener.