First Round Recap – Syracuse Region
No. 1 North Carolina looked like a potential national champion in demolishing No. 16 Oakland 96-68. The Tar Heels stormed the Grizzlies in the first half with unconscious shooting from everywhere on the court. North Carolina shot better than 73 percent from the field in the first half, building a 59-33 halftime lead.
With the game firmly in hand, coach Roy Williams frequently rotated players so that only junior forward Sean May played more than 24 minutes in the game. May scored 19 points and added eight rebounds, while freshman forward Marvin Williams led the Tar Heels with 20 points.
The overmatched Grizzlies ended an admirable run in which Oakland went from 9-18 to end the regular season to a Mid-Continent conference championship and victory against Alabama A&M in the NCAA Tournament play-in game. Senior forward Cortney Scott led all scorers with 21 points. The Grizzlies shot a respectable 44 percent from the field but could not keep up with the Tar Heels’ torrid pace or rebound against the taller and stronger North Carolina post players. Oakland lost the battle of the boards 36-19.
With the victory, North Carolina advances to play No. 9 Iowa State Sunday. This game will be the second consecutive second-round match up against a Big 12 opponent as the Tar Heels lost to Texas in last year’s NCAA Tournament. This year, however, the Tar Heels will be heavily favored to win.
