Heels get Back on Track
LAHAINA, Hawaii -- North Carolina rebounded from its first loss of the season by putting on an offensive clinic.
James Michael McAdoo scored 18 points to lead five North Carolina players in double figures, and the ninth-ranked Tar Heels routed Division II Chaminade 112-70 on Wednesday night.
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The win shook off an upset Tuesday from unranked Butler, which beat the Tar Heels by 11 and led by more than that much of the game.
"We were trying to refocus. We still had an opportunity to go out and play better," McAdoo said. "It was a blessing to get the victory."
North Carolina coach Roy Williams said the win made his team feel better.
"I think last night's game had a great effect on how we played today," Williams said. "We were all extremely upset, extremely mad."
Wednesday's game was the first time this season that the Tar Heels (5-1) have topped the century mark. They put up 62 points in the first half after being held to 18 points in the first half in Tuesday's loss.
Tournament host Chaminade (3-3) scored consecutive baskets just three times.
Chaminade coach Eric Bovaird said he knew his team was going to get Carolina's best shot.
"It was a wake-up call for them against Butler and unfortunately we were sitting there waiting after a horrible game," Bovaird said.
Williams said he felt bad for the opposing coach for catching the Tar Heels at the wrong time.
"We were sharing the basketball tonight," Williams said.
McAdoo had 10 rebounds for a double-double. Reggie Bullock and Leslie McDonald scored 17 points each and Brice Johnson, in the starting lineup for the first time for UNC, had 16.
UNC shot 62.3 percent, making nearly 69 percent of its shots in the first half including nine 3-pointers.
The Tar Heels overwhelmed Chaminade 62-33 at the break.
The Silverswords had a 7-4 lead in the game's second minute, but Carolina scored 15 straight and Chaminade never came close after that. Chaminade had 12 turnovers in the half, leading to 21 UNC points, while the Tar Heels had three runs of six or more points each.
It was Carolina's best scoring half since the Tar Heels put up 60 in in the second half in November 2011 against Mississippi Valley State. North Carolina had three players with at least 10 points each at halftime.
UNC reached 100 points when Jackson Simmons made an easy layup with 6:35 left.
The win loosened up North Carolina (5-1) and its fans before it flies home Thursday and faces top-ranked Indiana in the ACC/Big Ten Challenge next week.
Even Williams chuckled when some Carolina fans heckled reserve Wade Moody for airballing a 3-pointer in the game's final minute.
Chaminade was hoping for a second upset after it beat Texas in the opening round of the tournament. It lost to Illinois on Tuesday.
North Carolina easily beat Mississippi State in the second round. It placed third in the tournament after winning the event in each of its last three appearances in 1999, 2004 and 2008.
"We didn't get what we wanted out of the tournament because we wanted to win the tournament," Williams said.