Old North Banter
Fansided

North Carolina Tar Heels: Beat Notre Dame in Greensboro

By John Woodcock

Feb 5, 2017; Greensboro, NC, USA; North Carolina Tar Heels guard Joel Berry II (2) shoots the ball over Notre Dame Fighting Irish guard Matt Farrell (5) during the second half at Greensboro Coliseum. The Tar Heels won 83-76. Mandatory Credit: Rob Kinnan-USA TODAY Sports
Feb 5, 2017; Greensboro, NC, USA; North Carolina Tar Heels guard Joel Berry II (2) shoots the ball over Notre Dame Fighting Irish guard Matt Farrell (5) during the second half at Greensboro Coliseum. The Tar Heels won 83-76. Mandatory Credit: Rob Kinnan-USA TODAY Sports /
facebooktwitterreddit

The North Carolina Tar Heels held their first place status in the ACC with a rare game in Greensboro.

This used to be something the North Carolina Tar Heels did all the time. They used to play big games in Greensboro and win them in front of big friendly crowds. Normally it was March when these games were played and advancing in some league tournament that was on the line. Yesterday’s game between the Tar Heels and the Notre Dame Fighting Irish might be the last one in Greensboro for a long time.

Water issues pushed today’s game down the road to Greensboro since Chapel Hill had lacked water for two days.

The throwback nature of the affair was added by the Irish. Notre Dame is still young as far as the ACC is concerned. It would make more sense to face the Irish in the NCAA Tournament, and there were games scheduled to be played in Greensboro this year. That was before HB2 and the stances taken by competitive sports leagues this past year. When North Carolina held off Notre Dame and the final ball bounced, the Greensboro Colosseum floor fell silent to ACC basketball to who knows when.

More from North Carolina Tar Heels

If that was the case, then this game was not the worst game to go out on. The Tar Heels took an early lead that stretched to seventeen points before the Fighting Irish scratched it down to two points on a three pointer by V.J. Beachem. That was as close as it got before stretching back out to an 83-76 final score.

The Irish did test the Carolina defense with versatile forward Bonzie Colson and succeeded in fouling out Kennedy Meeks after only sixteen minutes of play. Meeks still added eleven points and eight rebounds while he was in the action.

His contribution was typical as no Tar Heel had a dominant performance, but all seemed to contribute to the winning cause. There was no twenty point scorer, but Joel Berry, Justin Jackson, Meeks, Isaiah Hicks, Tony Bradley, and Kenny Williams all reached double figures. Williams made three three point shots on his way to eleven points. The Virginia sophomore may no doubt be disappointed that the Heels will not be playing more in Greensboro.

It was also a bittersweet affair for Theo Pinson. The Greensboro native got to show off his first place ACC teammates but had to sit it out himself. Pinson has now missed three games with his ankle issue and seems destined to miss the first Duke game as well.

More from Old North Banter

The only person who seemed unhappy with the Greensboro setting was Coach Roy Williams. Williams made sure to lash out at HB2 in his press conference, remarking that “Everything’s fine in Chapel Hill today. Restaurants are open. People can go to the bathroom & use whatever one they want.” Williams joins Mike Krzyzewski as vocal opponents of the controversial North Carolina state law.

The Tar Heels will face Krzyzewski and his Blue Devils in Cameron Indoor with its private bathrooms Thursday at 8:00 PM.

Home/North Carolina Tar Heels