UNC Gets By USC Upstate

CHAPEL HILL, N.C. — North Carolina’s performance was far from dominant, but it proved to be enough in the end for a Saturday afternoon victory at home. The Tar Heels are now 9-1 after beating USC Upstate on Saturday, 80-62, in the Smith Center.

Caleb Wilson led UNC with a 20-point, 11-rebound double-double. Jonathan Powell tied his career-high with 17 points off the bench, knocking down three 3-pointers. The Tar Heels shot 50.9% from the field and 43.5 percent from three, but gave up 11 second-chance points off 11 offensive rebounds.

UNC’s intensity level didn’t match that of the Spartans’ past the midway point of the first half. North Carolina led 7-0 early, but USC Upstate hung around for most of the half and even took a three-point lead at the 8:36 mark in the first half on a made 3-pointer from Tyler Smith. The Tar Heels responded, scoring 14 unanswered points after that basket to go ahead by double digits.

The Spartans did their best to stay around, keeping the UNC lead under 10 points at halftime and getting within eight points in the second half. But after cutting into the lead, 3-pointers from Derek Dixon and Powell expanded UNC’s lead to 14, its biggest of the game at that point. USC Upstate was within eight points of the Tar Heels as late as the 4:19 mark, but couldn’t do enough to get over the top.

North Carolina will stay home and face East Tennessee State of the SoCon next on Tuesday at 8 p.m. The Buccaneers are 8-3 in non-conference play this season.