CHAPEL HILL, N.C. (AP) — Matt Able scored 18 points and North Carolina make a decisive push in the final six minutes to win Michael Malone's coaching debut by beating Western Carolina 80-72 on Monday night.
Terrence Brown scored 14 points while Neo Avdalas added 13 for the Tar Heels (1-0), who used a 13-2 run to finally shake free and build a double-digit lead against the pesky Catamounts. UNC held Western Carolina without a field goal for more than five minutes during that burst, which ended with Avdalas burying a 3-pointer on the catch despite being fouled by a closeout defender for a 77-64 lead with 1:31 left.
Still, it was hardly an easy night for North Carolina, which shot 41.8% and 9 of 30 from 3-point range (30%). In addition, its preseason rebounding concerns continued into this game with Western Carolina finishing with a 41-32 edge and nearly doubling UNC on the offensive glass (13-7).
Jaxon Prunty scored 18 points and Jaeden Roberts added 17 points, hitting four 3-pointers, to lead the Catamounts (0-1), who are picked to finish eighth in the 11-team Southern Conference race. Western Carolina shot just 33.9% but made 10 3s for the game.
The 55-year-old Malone spent 12 seasons as a head coach in the NBA, including a 10-year run in Denver. He led the Nuggets to the 2023 championship behind three-time league MVP Nikola Jokic. He is the first UNC coach to lead the program without having played for the Tar Heels or working as an assistant on staff since Frank McGuire took over in 1952 as the predecessor late Hall of Fame coach Dean Smith.
WCU: The Catamounts travel to UNC Asheville on Saturday.
UNC: The Tar Heels host Wofford on Friday night in the second of six straight games at the Smith Center to open the season.
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