The Tar Heels pressured USC into missing 15 of its first 20 shots while forcing 10 turnovers after halftime. Carolina took control with a 12-0 run in the second half and held the Trojans scoreless for nearly six minutes. USC shot just 26.5 percent in the final 20 minutes.
The marked game Michael MaloneTar Heel’s first public appearance as head coach after taking the job in April.
“It was really cool to go through that tunnel (pregame), and I’m obviously looking forward to Nov. 2, our first game of the regular season in a real game,” Malone said. “I have to give a lot of credit to the fans who came out tonight to see our team for the first time. The welcome (from the fans), I don’t take that lightly. To have a warm welcome, people applauding you and welcoming you here, that means a lot to me.
“When you haven’t coached a game in over a year, the college game is different. The downtime is different, there’s so many different things. I have to give a lot of credit to my team, because these guys have been really, really helpful in helping me navigate along the way.”
That of Jarin Stevenson the double-double included game highs of 25 points and 10 rebounds. Isaiah Denis scored 14 points, including 10 with a pair of three-pointers in the first half. Neo Avdalas added 15 points, nine rebounds and five assists before fouling out in the final minute. Freshman Maxime Adams scored 11 with six rebounds in his Tar Heel debut.
“Jarin Stevenson I had a heck of a performance, and to be able to play against him late was awesome to see,” Malone said. “Jarin works hard and I’m proud of him.”
Carolina took a 56-53 lead on a three-pointer by Alex Samodorov and led for the final 10:42, outscoring USC 32-17 in that final stretch and 51-31 in the second half.
“In the first half they shot 47 percent, in the second half they shot 27 percent,” Malone said of his team’s defensive efforts. “The first half they had 16 paint points, the second half only six points in our paint. At one point I think we had gotten seven or eight stops in a row, which is something we try to be proud of. We brought our defense into the game, and that allowed us to run, play with a little more of an offensive mindset.”
The Tar Heel bench dominated the Trojan reserves, 35-5.
After falling behind 10-3 in the opening minutes, Carolina took advantage of Denis’ hot hand and Adams’ tough energy to claw back and eventually tie the score at 20 with less than nine minutes left in the half. Denis scored 10 of Carolina’s 13 points during one stretch midway through the first 20 minutes.
The teams traded baskets and took the lead for the remainder of the half until Carolina cooled down late, missing 7 of 8 shots before the break until Avdalas’ three-point play tied the score at 37 with 38.9 seconds on the clock. USC led 39-37 at halftime after a moving screen by Samodurov on Carolina’s final possession. UNC outscored the bigger Trojans, 23-17, and outshot USC, 13-3, on turnovers, but shot just 35.5 percent collectively at halftime.
Stevenson and Sayon Keïta combined to score Carolina’s first 10 points of the second half, then the Tar Heels went on a 12-0 run in 3:27 to take a 61-53 lead and force a Troy timeout with 9:16 to play. UNC’s defense took over and forced seven turnovers in less than five minutes to spark the blowout, as USC went scoreless for nearly six minutes.
Rodney Rice led USC with 22 points, while Alijah Arenas scored 17. Carolina dominated in rebounding, outscoring the Trojans by a 47-33 margin.
How it happened
First half
• After Stevenson’s three-pointer to open the game, USC scored three of its first four shots from long range, took a 10-3 lead and forced an early UNC timeout.
• The Tar Heels pulled within one point at 12-11 with an 8-2 run that included five points from Adams and three from Denis. Carolina tied it up at 20-20 with less than nine minutes on the clock.
• The rest of the half was close with four lead changes and neither team led by more than five in the final 8:56. Although UNC went more than 3:30 without a field goal and missed 7 of 8 after the final media timeout, the Trojans led by just two at the break, 39-37.
Second half
• Stevenson made three straight points to start the second half, and Keita scored four in a row on two free throws and a follow-up dunk. After a Stevenson layup, Carolina took a 49-48 lead in the sub-4 p.m. timeout.
• The Tar Heels turned the ball over four times in 4:16, but hung on in the ensuing timeout as USC missed 12 of its first 17 shots in the second half and went scoreless for more than four minutes.
• Carolina raced to a 12-0 score in 3:27 to take a 61-53 lead and force a Trojan timeout with 9:16 to play.
• UNC expanded its lead to 11 at 69-58 with less than five minutes to play, playing aggressively offensively while controlling the game with its defense the rest of the way.
• USC never got closer than an eight-point deficit in the final five minutes, and Carolina took the lead in the final minutes.
Remarks
• Carolina started a guard team Terrence Brown, Matt Able and Avdalas and the great men Stevenson and Keita.
• This is the first of two Tar Heels preseason games this fall against Big Ten opponents. Carolina will face Indiana at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis on Sunday, October 18.
• UNC will also face in-state foe Charlotte at home at the Smith Center on Oct. 27 to close out the preseason. The 49ers are led by head coach and former Tar Heel guard Wes Miller and assistant coach Marcus Paige, another UNC alum who served three seasons on former head coach Hubert Davis’ staff in Carolina.
Following
After a nine-day break to focus on practices and workouts, Carolina will travel to Indianapolis to face Indiana in another preseason contest on October 18. This match will start at 5 p.m. and will be streamed by B1G+.
Stay up to date with the latest Tar Heel men’s basketball news on X at @UNC_Basketball and @UNCMBBstats and on Instagram at UNC_Basketball.
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