Noel powers Tar Heels past Wolfpack
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Raleigh, NC (Sports Network) - David Noel had a career-best 25 points along
with 11 rebounds, while Reyshawn Terry added 20 points as 21st-ranked North
Carolina routed in-state rival North Carolina State 95-71 in Atlantic Coast
Conference action from the RBC Center.
Tyler Hansbrough contributed 17 points for the surging Tar Heels (18-6, 9-4 ACC) and Wes Miller hit 5-of-8 shots from beyond the arc in a 15-point effort. North Carolina has now won seven of its last eight games and is 6-1 in ACC play on the road. The Tar Heels also recorded their sixth consecutive win over the Wolfpack. North Carolina State (21-6, 10-4) failed to show its usual marksmanship from the perimeter and suffered only its second defeat in 17 games at the RBC Center this season. The Wolfpack went just 6-of-25 from three-point range. Engin Atsur and Andrew Brackman each finished with 16 points in the loss. Behind a huge first half from Noel, the Tar Heels built a comfortable 46-34 lead at intermission. The senior forward poured in 18 points on 7-of-9 shooting and pulled down eight rebounds over the opening 20 minutes, while pacing a 15-3 run that put the Tar Heels ahead to stay. With North Carolina down 18-14, Marcus Ginyard hit a three-pointer with 10:52 left in the half to start the surge. Noel had eight points during the flurry, which culminated in Hansbrough's layup which put the Tar Heels up 29-21 with 6:37 remaining prior to the break. The Wolfpack got as close as three points down shortly after, but Noel and Miller each drained triples during a 10-0 spurt later on that extended UNC's advantage to 43-29 late in the half. N.C. State closed within single digits after Cedric Simmons' three-point play with 13:40 left made the score 60-51, but the Tar Heels dominated the final 10 minutes. With North Carolina up by 10, Ginyard netted six points of an 8-0 run that increased the Heels' margin to 74-56 with eight minutes left. The Wolfpack mustered just a single field goal over the final five minutes. Game Notes North Carolina defeated the Wolfpack 82-69 in Chapel Hill on January 7...The Tar Heels came in as the lower ranked team for only the fourth time in the last 74 meetings between the rivals...UNC finished with a 43-26 advantage on the boards...The Wolfpack went 0-of-10 from three-point range in the second half. NCAROLINA NCSTATE |