Off the cuff: Carolina really won that game over a four-minute span in the first half. Sure, it got up to a 20-point lead and down to 10. But when the Tar Heels scored 14 points from about the 14:50 mark to the 10:50 mark of the first half, it took the game for a one-point game to a 15-point game and it stayed five points of that the rest of the way. Leading just 13-12, Isaiah Hicks drove the baseline for a dunk. Then Justin Jackson hit a floater. Joel Berry followed with a three from the left sidelines and then he hit a pair of free throws. Luke Maye followed with UNC's fourth three of the game and Berry finished off the run by driving aggressively to the hoop for two. UNC 27, Butler 12. That, in essence was the game. Had the Heels not drained eight threes in the first half though, it could have been a different story. The Tar Heels shot well throughout the game but their free throw shooting was below par (just 21 of 33). Carolina certainly has the motivation to win the national championship. The Heels next game is against Kentucky, a team that beat UNC 103-100 in a game where Malik Monk went wild with 47 points. Not only does Carolina want revenge for that one but the players are still thinking about the way they lost the title game last year. |
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