No Upset This Time; No. 8 Tar Heels Dominate UNI

A dominate second-half propelled eighth-ranked North Carolina to an 85-42 win over the UNI Panthers Wednesday night (Dec. 21, 2016).

After building a slim 33-27 advantage at intermission, the Tar Heels (11-2) hit 62 percent of their shots during the final 20 minutes of play and outscored UNI 52-16 in the second half.

Kennedy Meeks led the offensive surge for North Carolina, scoring 10 of his game-high 18 points after halftime. Justin Jackson added 12 points for the Tar Heels, while Joel Berry II and Isaiah Hicks each finished with 11.

Bennett Koch was the top scorer for UNI (5-6). The junior forward tallied 10 points before fouling out with 7:19 left in the game.

North Carolina shot 52 percent for the game and outrebounded the Panthers 42-24. The Tar Heels scored 20 points off of UNI's 17 turnovers.

The second meeting between UNI and one of college basketball's blue bloods came 13 months to the day after the Panthers' stunning upset of the then-top-ranked Tar Heels. On Nov. 21, 2015, UNI rallied from a 16-point second-half deficit to beat North Carolina, 71-67, at the McLeod Center in Cedar Falls.

Wednesday's game was played at the Dean E. Smith Center -- also known as "The Dean Dome" -- in Chapel Hill, N.C. The Panthers are scheduled to return to North Carolina again next season for the final game in the three-game series.

UP NEXT: UNI returns home for a 7 p.m. game on Dec. 28 at the McLeod Center in Cedar Falls. The Panthers host Missouri State to open Missouri Valley Conference play.