UNC Dominates Marquette in Round One

FORT WORTH, TX — The UNC Tar Heels (25-9, 15-5 ACC) collided with the Marquette Golden Eagles (19-13, 11-8 Big East) in round one of the NCAA Tournament. The Tar Heels dominated the Golden Eagles in a convincing win 95-63. 

“Good team win. We played well today,” said UNC forward Brady Manek. 

UNC was clicking from all cylinders early on in the first half. Midway through the first, UNC went on an 11-0 run, pushing the lead to 18-8. The Tar Heels had 9 second-chance points because of their offensive rebounding. 

UNC went on a 20-2 run to extend its lead to 17 points late in the first. By halftime, UNC was up by 28 points. The score was 25-53. 

The Tar Heels are now 22-0 when leading or tying at halftime. They shot 10-22 from long range and had 21 second-chance points. 

Carolina maintained its hot streak in the second half, not giving the Golden Eagles a chance to get back into the game. The final score was 95-63. 

Sophomore guard Caleb Love was clicking early on, shooting 3-3 from deep. He finished the game with 23 points, shooting 6-13 from the 3-point line. Love’s performance proved that he is one of the top guards in the NCAA. 

Brady Manek, senior forward, had a game-high 28 points. Be shot 5-10 from the 3-point line and grabbed 11 rebounds. He finished the game with a double-double.

“Just got to keep playing hard, keep playing tough, and do what we did today,” said Manek. 

UNC’s leading scorer Armando Bacot, junior forward, had 17 points. Star point guard R.J. Davis had a game-high 11 rebounds. 

Marquette’s season has come to an end, but the performance of Olivier-Maxence Prosper was exceptional. Prosper finished the game with a team-high 16 points. 

The Tar Heels will be back in action Saturday, March 19th, against the number one seed Baylor Bears (27-6, 14-4 Big 12).