Triangle Offense

The Golden Eagles actually won the second half 48-41, shooting 52 percent and holding UNC to 38 percent, but they never created any meaningful suspense due to the immense size of the deficit. Carolina was so effective in the first half that even the lackluster second frame failed to dislodge Roy Williams from near-euphoric descriptions of his team following the game.

“I looked up at the clock and it was 10-8 their favor, and the next time I looked at the clock is when I went off at halftime and it was 40-15,” Williams said. “I knew we were doing very well to say the least.”

Carolina enjoyed a huge size advantage in the game, and Tyler Zeller capitalized most. Zeller has been the team’s best player in the tournament, and his 27 points almost have become the norm. He contributed in some new areas as well, however, amassing 12 rebounds, four assists and three steals.

John Henson added his typical double-double, going for 14 points, 12 rebounds and also five blocks. Perhaps the only asterisk applied to the big guys was that both Zeller and Henson shot less than 50 percent from the floor.

Harrison Barnes suffered through a poor shooting game as well. He converted only 7-for-18 shots en route to 20 points and nine rebounds. The backcourt actually scored more efficiently than usual, as Kendall Marshall and Dexter Strickland — playing near home in Newark — combined for 6-for-9 shooting and 15 points.

Unlike Carolina’s first game in the tournament, a win over Long Island in which three players accomplished most of the scoring, numerous Tar Heels elevated their games against Washington. Freshman point guard Kendall Marshall stormed back after a series of relatively subpar games, scoring 13 points and handing out 14 assists. More than his statistical contribution, Marshall exhibited the poise and leadership expected of a senior — not a freshman.

The Heels enjoyed a skill advantage in the frontcourt and made the most of it. Tyler Zeller led all scorers with 23 points, and he buried critical free throws late in the game. Harrison Barnes knocked in several three-pointers against Washington’s zone defense, finishing with 22 points and adding three steals as well.

Dexter Strickland, playing on an injured knee, was the key defensive player. He held star Huskies guard Isaiah Thomas to 5-for-15 shooting, and Strickland added 13 points and six rebounds of his own. John Henson was the other primary factor for the Heels, alternating between hero and potential goat seemingly on a possession-by-possession basis. He made a key steal on an out-of-bounds situation but also dropped a desperate heave by Washington that he could have ignored and given Carolina the ball and a certain win.