Carolina returned home and cruised to a non-conference win.
While they did get it close late against Indiana, UNC lost that game in large part due to falling behind by 17 in the first half. Against Radford, Carolina flipped the script and started the game by getting out to a big lead.
The Tar Heels opened the game on a 18-4 run, with Kenny Williams scoring 14 of those 18, and never looked back, cruising past Radford 95-50.
Williams hit his first five shots, four of which were threes, and finished with a career high 19 points, leading all scorers. It was probably Williams’ best game as a Tar Heel.
Others solid performances came from Tony Bradley, who put up a double-double going for 10 points and 11 rebounds. Kennedy Meeks nearly had one of his own, going for 13 and nine.
The performance wasn’t without fault however. Carolina took a 34-9 lead midway through the first half. At that point of the game, they had not yet turned the ball over. However, they finished the game with 13 turnovers, most coming in the remainder of the first half, and the first nine minutes of the second half.
The sloppiness was noticeable, but never truly affected the outcome. The offense wasn’t perfect, but the defense overwhelmed Radford. Carolina held the Highlanders to just 50 points on 31% shooting. The Tar Heels also forced 19 turnovers of their own, leading to 26 points.
North Carolina also unsurprisingly dominated the glass. They grabbed 52 to Radford’s 29.
One huge worry coming out of this game is the health of Joel Berry. The Tar Heels’ point guard was fouled going up for a layup early in the second half, injuring his left ankle in the process. He was diagnosed with a sprained ankle and did not return.
After the loss to Indiana, a home game against Radford was always likely to be a good spot for Carolina to bounce back in a big way. It wasn’t totally pretty, but it’s hard to poke too many holes in a 45-point win.
