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NCAA Tournament: UNC blows past Texas Southern in opener

By Zack Pearson

Mar 17, 2017; Greenville, SC, USA; North Carolina Tar Heels forward Theo Pinson (1) and forward Justin Jackson (44) on the bench during the second half against the Texas Southern Tigers in the first round of the 2017 NCAA Tournament at Bon Secours Wellness Arena. Mandatory Credit: Jeremy Brevard-USA TODAY Sports
Mar 17, 2017; Greenville, SC, USA; North Carolina Tar Heels forward Theo Pinson (1) and forward Justin Jackson (44) on the bench during the second half against the Texas Southern Tigers in the first round of the 2017 NCAA Tournament at Bon Secours Wellness Arena. Mandatory Credit: Jeremy Brevard-USA TODAY Sports /
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As expected, UNC cruises past Texas Southern in their opening game of the 2017 NCAA Tournament.

The North Carolina Tar Heels are on to the round of 32 after their 103-64 win over Texas Southern on Friday in Greenville.

UNC controlled the game from the start, jumping out to a 22-10 with just over 13 minutes left in the half. And they never looked back.

Junior Justin Jackson led the Tar Heels with 21 points in the game, including shooting 5-of-8 from the three-point line. Jackson did most of his damage in the first half, scoring 19 of his 21 in the half.

The Tigers were no match for the No. 1 seed Tar Heels, who avoided struggling like Villanova and Gonzaga did as No. 1 seeds. Instead, they did what they did best by owning the glass and shooting 50 percent from the field.

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UNC outrebounded Texas Souther 54-27 and grabbed 20 offensive rebounds.

While everything went smoothly for the Heels, they did have a scare in the second half. Up by 20-plus, point guard Joel Berry landed awkwardly after missing a three-point jumper.

Berry stayed down on the court for a few seconds and had to go to the locker room for precautionary reasons. But UNC fans held their breath as they saw their potential NCAA Tournament run take a big hit.

The guard would eventually return to the game and play a few more minutes in the second half.

Berry finished with just three points in the game with his only field goal being a buzzer-beater at the end of the first half.

Senior Isaiah Hicks scored 17 points while fellow senior Kennedy Meeks added 13. The two combined for 12 rebounds on the game.

Freshman Tony Bradley Jr. added 12 points for the Heels.

UNC had advanced to take on Arkansas in Greenville on Sunday. Tipoff time is yet to be announced by the NCAA.

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Check back to Keeping It Heel for more on the Tar Heels tournament run.

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