facebook-pixel

NCAA West Regional: Defending champ North Carolina cruises past Lipscomb

North Carolina's Theo Pinson (1) drives against Lipscomb's Eli Pepper (22) during the first half of a first-round game in the NCAA men's college basketball tournament in Charlotte, N.C., Friday, March 16, 2018. (AP Photo/Gerry Broome)

Charlotte, N.C. • Kenny Williams was a bit player in North Carolina’s run to the national title game in 2016, then watched last season from the sideline due to a knee injury as the Tar Heels won a sixth NCAA championship without him.

They need him to be every bit as good as he was Friday to reach a third straight Final Four.

Williams scored 18 points to help UNC beat Lipscomb 84-66 in the first round of the NCAA tourney, a strong start for a guy carrying a heavier load this time in a small-ball lineup.

“I was excited all week about coming to play my first game with heavy minutes in the NCAA Tournament,” Williams said. “This is what you look forward to growing up, so I was a little bit more excited about that.”

UNC (26-10), the No. 2 seed in the West Region, won its 12th NCAA game in 13 tries going back to the 2016 tournament that ended with a title-game loss to Villanova. Williams was a freshman that year, buried on the bench behind veteran talent and playing just 8 minutes with four appearances in those six games.

He was set for a bigger role last year before suffering a torn meniscus in his right knee in February 2017. Williams needed surgery and didn’t play again, though the Tar Heels went on to beat Gonzaga in Glendale, Arizona, for the title.

On Friday, in his first major NCAA Tournament minutes, he looked right at home. He made 6 of 8 shots and 4 of 5 3-pointers in 28 minutes, helping the Tar Heels gradually take control on the way to shooting 52 percent with nine made 3s.

“When we execute our offense, we’re getting guys open and we’re setting solid screens, and guys are able to come off in a rhythm and knock it down,” senior point guard Joel Berry said. “Today Kenny didn’t force any shots. Any time somebody drove he was ready to shoot.”

The Tar Heels next play seventh-seeded Texas A&M.

Playing in their first NCAA tourney, the 15th-seeded Bisons (23-10) shot well at the start and held an early six-point edge. They led 33-31 with fewer than 4 minutes left in the first half before North Carolina went on a 12-1 run to lead 43-34 by the break.

UNC increased that margin to 18 by midway through the second half.

Texas A&M 73, Providence 69 • In Charlotte, N.C., Admon Gilder scored 18 points to help Texas A&M hold off Providence 73-69 in Friday’s first round of the NCAA Tournament.

Robert Williams and Tyler Davis both had double-doubles for the Aggies (21-12), the No. 7 seed in the West Region. The teams were tied at 50 with about 9 minutes left but Texas A&M responded with a 12-2 run to finally wrestle control away from the Friars.

Gilder hit a straightaway 3 with 2:49 left to cap that flurry for a 62-52 lead.

Davis had 14 points and 15 rebounds, while Williams added 13 points and 14 boards — including a highlight-reel windmill dunk with 39.2 seconds left as the Aggies did just enough to put it away.

Rodney Bullock scored 22 points with three 3-pointers for 10th-seeded Providence (21-14), which shot 44 percent but never recovered from A&M’s critical-moment burst.

Xavier 102, Texas Southern 83 • In Nashville, Tenn., the Xavier Musketeers looked every bit like a No. 1 seed their first time around in the role at an NCAA Tournament.

J.P. Macura scored 18 of his career-high 29 points in the first half, and Xavier routed No. 16 seed Texas Southern in their tournament opener in the West Region.

The Musketeers (29-5) will play either No. 9 seed Florida State or eighth-seeded Missouri on Sunday for a berth in the Sweet 16.

Trevon Bluiett added 26 points, and Kerem Kanter had 24 for the Big East’s regular season champs.

With celebrity fan Bill Murray watching , Macura helped Xavier respond when falling behind 20-13 within the first five minutes. Macura scored 15 points to key a 21-2 run that put the Musketeers ahead for good. Macura’s fourth 3 capped the run with 7:12 left and Xavier securely ahead 34-22.

Texas Southern (16-20) came in having won the first NCAA Tournament game in program history, a First Four win over North Carolina Central in Dayton on Wednesday night. The Tigers and confident sophomore guard Damontrae Jefferson wanted much more history with a win in the first round that would have made them the first 16 seed to knock off a No. 1.

Jefferson and the Tigers simply couldn’t match Xavier’s shooting. Jefferson did steal the ball and score on a layup just before the buzzer, adding a free throw for good measure. That was as close as Texas Southern would get as Xavier led 49-37 at halftime.

Florida State 67, Missouri 54 • In Nashville, Tenn., ninth-seeded Florida State has lots of guys who can score, and the Seminoles used that depth to win their fourth straight NCAA Tournament opener.

Mfiondu Kabengele scored 14 points, and Florida State beat No. 8 seed Missouri.

PJ Savoy had 12 points and Phil Cofer scored 11. A total of 10 Seminoles scored at least two points apiece — by halftime — as they wore out Missouri, which had only eight healthy players available.

This was the first trip to the tournament for every player on the roster for Missouri (20-13). Even with new players and a new coach in Cuonzo Martin, the Tigers head home from their first NCAA trip since 2013 with the program’s fourth straight loss in a first round.