GAME RECAP: Heels Muzzle Pack, Win 86-74

RALEIGH - Kendall Marshall scored a game-high 22 points, including a career-high four 3-pointers, to lead the Tar Heels past NC State in Raleigh Tuesday night 86-74.
 

1st HALF RECAP:

 

John Henson started the game with two straight jumpers to give the Heels a 4-0 lead before CJ Leslie scored a shot from underneath to make it 4-2.

 

Harrison Barnes started off well on the night, hitting a three-pointer on his opening shot to make it 7-2 UNC two minutes into the game. Kendall Marshall followed with another 3-pointer to give the Tar Heels an eight point lead, 10-2, forcing the Wolfpack to call a timeout.

 

CJ Williams made a deep two-pointer to stop Carolina’s 6-0 run, but Barnes responded with a bucket of his own moments later. On the next possession, Henson scored a layup to make it 14-4 with 15:44 to go in the opening frame.

 

After being fouled, CJ Leslie made one free throw for the Wolfpack to cut the deficit to single digits. UNC struck again a minute later with a Reggie Bullock lay-up and then he hit a three-pointer from the corner to put the Heels ahead 19-5 with 14:05 to go in the first half.

 

The Wolfpack responded with a couple of made baskets and some good defensive stops to pull within six points, but Bullock hit another shot from beyond the arc to put the Heels ahead 22-13.

 

Alex Johnson hit a long shot of his own to make it 22-16, but PJ Hairson netted a long bomb for the Heels to stretch the score to 25-16. It didn’t stay that way long as CJ Leslie made a two-pointer and then Marshall made his second trey of the game for the Heels to keep the lead at 10, 28-18 with 10:30 to go.

 

After a CJ Leslie made free throw and a Richard Howell lay-up for the Wolfpack and another Marshall bucket for the Heels, Carolina led 30-21. With less than 10 minutes left, Lorenzo Brown nailed a three-pointer, CJ Leslie blocked a UNC lay-up and then dunked it at the other end to bring the lead to within four. CJ Williams made a beautiful reverse lay-up to cut the deficit to two as the teams went to their benches with 7:48 left on the clock.

 

After the timeout, CJ Leslie made a lay-up past Tyler Zeller to tie the game at 30. It stayed that way for about 15 seconds as Barnes made a jumper from 15 feet out for his 7th point of the night. Zeller scored his first bucket of the game the next time down the court with 6:30 to go.

 

Richard Howell brought Carolina’s lead within three points after making 1 of 2 free throws.

 

Henson scored a lay-up and completed the three point play by making a foul shot after being fouled. The Heels led 37-30 before CJ Williams hit a three-pointer with 5:30 to play to make it 37-33 UNC.

 

Although the Tar Heels did a good job of limiting prolific outside shooter Scott Wood, he finally got room off a screen to nail a long shot with 4:12 to make it 37-36 UNC. Harrison Barnes made two free throws after the next play to stretch the lead back to three points. Barnes got hit in the face with the ball on defense, but got up and walked off the court under his own power after a brief delay.

 

When play resumed, Marshall hit his third three-pointer of the game. His bucket was followed by a DeShawn Painter jumper to make the score 42-38 Heels.

 

Marshall added two free throws a possession after James Michael McAdoo had missed some and UNC led 44-38. After adding a free throw, NC State drew Tyler Zeller’s second foul, forcing UNC coach Roy Williams to replace the big man with McAdoo. Zeller only accumulated two points in the first half.

 

Painter made yet another jumper for the Pack to cut the lead to three points. McAdoo did a nice job at the other end, though to slide behind the defense to get another layup for UNC.

 

NC State held the ball for the final shot, but couldn’t convert. UNC led 46-41 after the first half.

 

2nd HALF RECAP:
 

Marshall continued his momentum from the first half, scoring his 15th point of the game with a lay-up to start the second half of play. Harrison Barnes scored a three-pointer on the next trip down the court to make it 51-41 UNC. The Wolfpack defense continued causing problems for Zeller as they forced him into two straight turnovers on offense.

 

NC State finally got on the board in the half more than two minutes into the frame. Zeller got free for his second basket of the game, making a one-handed dunk to stretch the lead back to 10 points, 53-43.

 

After a timeout, Brown hooked up with Leslie for an alley-oop jam to make it 53-45. Zeller put the lead back to ten with two free throws with 16 minutes to go. Zeller also picked up a defensive block, but that didn’t stop Painter from making a lay-up and drawing a foul. He missed the free throw, but the Wolfpack got the offensive rebound. An ensuing lay-up attempt was blocked by John Henson and Barnes scored in transition at the other end for the Tar Heels to make it 57-47 UNC.

 

CJ Williams was able to respond with a lay-up of his own with 15 minutes to go. Reggie Bullock fired in his second three-pointer of the game to give UNC an 11 point lead.

 

Harrison Barnes made two free throws to give him 15 points on the night with 13:30 to go and the Heels up 62-49.

 

Lorenzo Brown scored on a fast break and then CJ Leslie converted a lay-up and a free throw to slice the lead for UNC down to 8 points, 62-54.

 

After a made NC State free throw, Tyler Zeller and John Henson both made buckets to pull ahead by 11, 66-55 with 10 minutes to play. Henson made a free throw to make it 67-55 a few moments later.

 

Marshall extended the UNC to 69-55 with 8:39 to play by making a streaking lay-up on the left side of the hoop. Barnes then got a pass from Marshall and made a beautiful fade away jumper from 18 feet out to put Carolina up 71-55.

 

Painter made a free throw to stop the UNC run, but UNC got right back to scoring as Marshall hit his fourth three-pointer of the game. That bucket marked a 12-2 run for the Heels.

 

Howell notched the next bucker for NC State and UNC turned it over on offense as Barnes and Zeller suffered from some miscommunication on a pass. CJ Leslie took advantage as he scored two points on the next play.

 

Zeller made two free throws for UNC to give the Heels a 76-60 lead with 5:30 to go. CJ Leslie cut the lead back to 14 with a jumper from straight on. Henson delivered a dunk at the other end, though, to put UNC back up 78-62.

 

Zeller added another pair of free throws and Howell struck back with a lay-up to make it 80-64.

 

Harrison Barnes freed up on the next play and drained a 20-foot jump shot. CJ Williams scored off a Painter miss for the Wolfpack with less than four minutes to go. Lorenzo Brown found an open lane straight to the basket and dunked it to try to inject some life into the Wolfpack’s game. With less than three minutes to go, UNC led 82-68. UNC added two more free throws out of a timeout before Howell scored his 9th point of the game with an off-balance 10-footer.

 

The teams traded buckets back and forth over the final two minutes. CJ Leslie fouled out with 24 points and 12 rebounds to lead the Wolfpack on the night. Lorenzo Brown also contributed 18 points and 5 rebounds in the game.

 

The Tar Heels were paced by Kendall Marshall who scored 22 points, including a career-high 4 three-pointers. Harrison Barnes also netted 20 points for Carolina while John Henson scored a double-double with 14 points and 13 rebounds. Tyler Zeller bounced back nicely from his 2-point first half performance to end the night with 14 points and 8 rebounds.