A David Noel fast break windmill dunk still lingers in the minds of State fans when an 82-69 loss on January in Chapel Hill comes to mind. This time, it was another fast break one-hander by Noel that capped an 8-0 North Carolina run late in the first half, and the Heels never looked back. It wasn’t just his above-the-rim heroics, though, Noel also poured in a career-high 25 points.
It was only appropriate the senior and returning leading scorer would seek to be the guide for his young team as they invaded rival territory, according to Carolina freshman Tyler Hansbrough.
“David is our leader,” Hansbrough said. “He’s been through a lot. He’s a national champion.”
Noel was not the only backbreaker for the Wolfpack on Wednesday night as the younger Tar Heel supporting cast had all the answers as well. In the second half, it seemed like every time N.C. State tried to mount a comeback, the Tar Heels made a big shot. This is something guard Engin Atsur noticed as the Wolfpack struggled to grab the momentum.
“They did a good job of keeping the lead and extending it in the second half,” Atsur said. “We tried to come back, but they did a good job of keeping the lead.”
The Tar Heels also went to the glass on missed shots for 19 offensive rebounds, which also, at times, took the air out of the Wolfpack run.
“They’ve got some big, athletic guys, and they really go to the boards well,” Atsur said.
This is another instance where Noel showed his leadership, keeping his team calm when the Wolfpack came howling.
“I just told the guys that they are going to make runs,” Noel said. “This is their building. Don’t worry about it. Just play ball.”
Coming into the game, Carolina was last in the ACC in turnover margin, a testament to their youth, but the Tar Heels took care of the ball against the feisty Wolfpack defense and won the turnover battle on this occasion.
Although State only committed eight turnovers, coach Herb Sendek said his team should have forced more from their opponent.
“We did a good job of taking care of the basketball, but we didn’t do a good job of putting pressure on the ball to force turnovers,” Sendek said.
With the win, Carolina moved within spitting distance of second place in the ACC, and the Heels have won eight out of their last nine. However, according to junior guard Wes Miller, this victory was big because it showed a team that is improving rapidly and a team that can put it together for the full game.
“We played with effort and intensity for 40 minutes,” Miller said. “Our goal has been to improve and get better each game, and, so far, we have done that.”
