Field Level Media
Jan 9, 2018
CHAPEL HILL, N.C. -- Luke Maye scored 21 of his career-high 32 points in the first half as No. 20 North Carolina shook off a two-game losing skid by drubbing Boston College 96-66 on Tuesday night at the Smith Center.
Maye, a junior forward, shot 13-for-20 from the field, including 4-for-5 on 3-point attempts. He became the first North Carolina player to reach the 30-point mark at the Smith Center in six years.
Maye, who also had 18 rebounds, had reached a double-double in the first half to break out of a recent slump.
Cameron Johnson added 14 points and 11 rebounds, Joel Berry II had 13 points and Kenny Williams supplied 10 points for the Tar Heels (13-4, 2-2 Atlantic Coast Conference).
Ky Bowman scored 21 points for Boston College (11-6, 2-3), which has lost its last 11 meetings with the Tar Heels.
Jerome Robinson's 15 points along with 11 points apiece from Steffon Mitchell and Jordan Chatman were enough to keep the Eagles in this one.
North Carolina had been saddled with back-to-back losses for the first time since February 2016. The Tar Heels avoided their first three-game slide since January 2014.
North Carolina used Johnson, a redshirt junior transfer, in the starting lineup for the first time. Johnson, a guard, got into the act right away with a put-back dunk.
The lineup change eliminated a true post player from the starting group. Johnson, a former Pittsburgh player, is known as a perimeter threat, but he was 0-for-3 on 3-point launches.
The Tar Heels shot 50 percent from the field and finished with a 58-23 rebounding advantage.
Boston College was charged with only five turnovers, but its 38.7 percent shooting from the field became a problem.
North Carolina built a 50-35 halftime lead. That first-half total eclipsed the Tar Heels' full-game output from a 61-49 loss at Virginia on Saturday.
North Carolina grabbed 20 of the game's first 24 rebounds. The board work aided a first-half run that resulted in a 37-23 lead in barely more than 15 minutes of play.
--Field Level Media