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UNC Basketball: Pierce, Anthony lead Tar Heels past UNCW

By Zack Pearson

CHAPEL HILL, NORTH CAROLINA - NOVEMBER 06: Justin Pierce #32 of the North Carolina Tar Heels reacts after making a three-point shot against the Notre Dame Fighting Irish during the first half at the Dean Smith Center on November 06, 2019 in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. (Photo by Grant Halverson/Getty Images)
CHAPEL HILL, NORTH CAROLINA - NOVEMBER 06: Justin Pierce #32 of the North Carolina Tar Heels reacts after making a three-point shot against the Notre Dame Fighting Irish during the first half at the Dean Smith Center on November 06, 2019 in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. (Photo by Grant Halverson/Getty Images) /
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The UNC Basketball program gets their first road win this season as they beat UNCW on Friday night to move to 2-0 on the year

It was a game that not many actually saw. As North Carolina went into their matchup with UNC-Wilmington on Friday night, many fans realized that they would have to pay extra money to see this game on FloHoops rather than on live TV.

But in the end, what mattered the most was that the Tar Heels got the win to improve to 2-0 on the year whether you got to see it or not.

The Tar Heels started off a little slow in this one, finding themselves in a back-and-forth game with C.B. McGrath’s team early on. For the first 10 or so minutes in this game the Seahawks kept it close and if it wasn’t for Justin Pierce, they may have controlled this game.

The graduate transfer gave UNC some valuable minutes and buckets early on in this one. Pierce scored 13 points in the first half as UNC took a 40-29 lead at the break. The rest of the Tar Heels got off to a slowish start as Cole Anthony scored 11 points but needed 13 shots to do so.

It’s not what you wanted to see from a team that just had a big second half in the win over Notre Dame. Yeah, it’s a road game but UNC came out a little sluggish and are lucky that it didn’t cost them.

The Tar Heels got things going in the second half, jumping out to a double-digit lead early on and never really looking back. They would outscore the Seahawks 38-33 in the second half and wrap things up for a road win.

Once again freshman Cole Anthony led the Tar Heels with 20 points and grabbed 10 rebounds for his second double-double in as many games. Pierce finished with 18 and had 12 rebounds while Garrison Brooks also recorded his first career double-double with 18 points and 12 rebounds in the win.

UNC freshman Armando Bacot left the game midway in the first half after being hit in the head and had to be helped to the bench. He looked woosey and went back to the locker room where he stayed back there for the rest of the game.

Player of the Game

Let’s give this one to Pierce. He not only had his first career double-double with UNC but he also scored his 1000th career point in college basketball.  He was fantastic early on and kept it going in the second half.

Stat of the Game

Free throws. The Tar Heels were not good at the free throw line in this one, shooting 16/30 for 53 percent.  It’s obviously early on in the season but this could be a concern for the Tar Heels if things don’t change.

We have seen free throws haunt a UNC team in the past and it’s not fun. Let’s see if this is just an early-season funk or if it continues.

What’s next?

The Tar Heels return home to the Dean Dome to host Gardner-Webb next Friday night. The game will tipoff at 9 p.m. EDT and will be broadcasted live on ACC Network .

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