UNC will face an opponent it has seen many times over the years.
North Carolina defeated Wagner and will move on to the round of 32. The Tar Heels knew their next opponent, should they win, before their own game even started. Although it was a slow start, they turned it up in the second half.
North Carolina took down Wagner and is five games away. Jae’Lyn Withers and Armando Bacot had big games and helped pace the Tar Heels in the first half. In the second half, RJ Davis caught fire, helping grow the lead. Turnovers were a problem early, but hot shooting and a major size advantage won the game.
Final: UNC- 90 | Wagner- 62
Armando Bacot- 20 points and 10 rebounds.
Jae’Lyn Withers- 16 points and 10 rebounds.
RJ Davis- 22 points.
Mississippi State and Michigan State played in the #8 and #9 seed game of the west region. In a game that many believed could go either way, it was Michigan State that came out on top. Late in the first half, they went on a couple of runs to push their lead to double-digits. In the second half, they maintained that lead, never letting up.
North Carolina will have its work cut out. Michigan State’s guards are tough, and forward Malik Hall can create matchup problems. Their big men do not score much, and none of the Spartans frontcourt players average more than 5.6 rebounds. Armando Bacot could be primed for a big game.
The Tar Heels and Spartans will play on Saturday.
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