UNC Makes Easy Work of Lipscomb in 84-66 NCAA Tournament Win

The first two days of the NCAA tournament have been rife with upsets, but No. 2 seed North Carolina managed to avoid a similar fate, knocking off No. 15 seed Lipscomb in Charlotte on Friday afternoon, 84-66.

The Tar Heels' combination of balance and size was too much for the Bisons to overcome, as all five starters finished with double-digit points, led by Kenny Williams (18 points) and Theo Pinson (15 points 10 rebounds, seven assists).

Theo Pinson rocks the rim

Kenny Cooper (14 points) and Rob Marberry (13 points, seven boards) paced the Bisons.

Lipscomb gave the defending champions all they could handle in the first half and held a 33-31 lead with 3:52 remaining. But the Tar Heels closed the half on a 12-1 run and didn't look back from there, never letting Lipscomb get closer than an eight-point deficit.

North Carolina's edge on the boards (47-29), team play (19 assists) and perimeter shooting (9-of-22 from three, 40.9 percent) was the difference. The team's major concern from the game was its turnovers, sacrificing 18, a major part of why Lipscomb kept things close for most of the first half.

The win shouldn't have come as any surprise, as North Carolina was the heavy favorite and head coach Roy Williams is now 28-0 in in round of 64 games, the most wins without a loss in NCAA history, according to ESPN Stats & Info.

Up next for the Tar Heels is a tough matchup against Texas A&M, which should represent a fascinating clash of styles, per Jon Rothstein of CBS Sports: 

Williams knows the Tar Heels are in for a tough test, as he said after the game, according to Brent Zwerneman of the Houston Chronicle:

The size and defense of the Aggies should present some issues for the more free-flowing Tar Heels, though North Carolina's firepower and national championship experience shouldn't be overlooked, either.

The Tar Heels are first in the nation in rebounding (42.5), fifth in assists (18.2), 26th in points (82.0) per game and fourth in the nation in Kenpom.com's adjusted offense (121.5). The Aggies are fifth in rebounding (41.3), sixth in blocks (5.9) per contest and 12th in adjusted defense (94.2).

The clash of styles should make for an excellent second-round game, and it represents a potential pitfall for the Tar Heels in their quest to repeat as champions.