UNC Basketball: Barnes’ 21 points guides Kings, White nets 19 for Bulls

UNC basketball alumni Harrison Barnes and Coby White had big performances in their respective teams’ games on Friday night.

A pair of former North Carolina basketball standouts were in NBA action on Friday night, and both had solid performances in their respective teams’ games.

Sacramento Kings small forward Harrison Barnes helped guide his team to a 110-107 victory over the Detroit Pistons at Little Caesars Arena. He shot just 5-for-14 from the floor and 2-for-7 from three-point range, but knocked down 9-of-14 at the free throw line for a total of 21 points. He also had eight rebounds, seven assists, two steals and a block in a game-high 40 minutes of play.

It was Barnes’ fifth game with at least 21 points in the month of February, and the seventh occasion over that span that he’s recorded at least four rebounds and four assists in the same game. For the season, Barnes is averaging 16.2 points, 6.2 rebounds and 3.5 assists per game, and shooting better than 39 percent from three-point range.

Another former Tar Heel, Coby White, was a couple thousand miles away last night in a game against the Phoenix Suns. Although White’s Bulls lost the game by a final score of 106-97, the second-year point guard out of North Carolina scored 19 points to go along with five rebounds and four assists. He connected on 7-of-16 shots overall, but struggled with a 1-for-6 effort from beyond the arc. He did hit all four of his attempts at the foul line, though, while logging 31 minutes on the court.

White is averaging 15.8 points, 5.2 assists and five rebounds per game for the season. He’s shooting under 42 percent for the season, but nearly 35 percent from the three-point line. His 88.2 percent accuracy at the charity stripe is one of the best in the league (currently No. 20), and he’s notched double-digit scoring efforts in all but eight of his 32 appearances this season.

Check back with Keeping It Heel for all the latest on Harrison Barnes, Coby White and UNC basketball alumni throughout the league.