National Basketball Association
BOXSCORE | RECAP
North Carolina 78, UCLA 56
When: 7:00 PM ET, Thursday, November 27, 2014
Where: Imperial Arena at Atlantis Resort, Nassau
Officials: # Darron George, # Keith Kimble, # Gary Maxwell
Attendance: 2940


No. 6 North Carolina 78, No. 23 UCLA 56: Marcus Paige scored 21 points and added five assists as the Tar Heels rebounded from a stunning loss to Butler with a convincing triumph over the Bruins in the consolation round of the Battle 4 Atlantis in Paradise Island, Bahamas.

The upset loss to Butler appeared to rejuvenate North Carolina, which plays No. 16 Florida for fifth place Friday. Justin Jackson scored 12 points with five rebounds while Isaiah Hicks and J.P. Tokoto added 10 points for the Tar Heels (4-1).

UCLA (4-2), which meets UAB on Friday for seventh place, was led by Norman Powell’s 15 points on 4-for-9 shooting and five steals. Kevon Looney was in foul trouble for most of the game but still managed to score 11 points with six rebounds while Bryce Alford added 10 points.

Unhappy with the way the Tar Heels rebounded against Butler, coach Roy Williams started Hicks, Nate Britt and Joel James in place of Tokoto, Kennedy Meeks and Brice Johnson. The result was more energy on defense as North Carolina finished the first half on an 18-4 run and a 43-29 lead.

The Tar Heels led 47-38 when Meeks jump-started a 15-0 run to put the game away. Looney stopped a seven-minute scoring drought with a two-handed dunk, leaving the Bruins trailing 62-40.

GAME NOTEBOOK: North Carolina held UCLA to just 1-for-14 shooting from 3-point range and forced 23 turnovers. … Looney played just 13 minutes in the first half after drawing three fouls and committed his fourth foul six seconds into the second half. … Williams’ lineup change didn’t help North Carolina on the glass as it was outrebounded 38-35.

Top Game Performances
 
North Carolina   UCLA
Marcus Paige 21 Scoring Norman Powell 15
Marcus Paige 5 Assists Bryce Alford 3
Theo Pinson 7 Rebounds Thomas Welsh 8
Justin Jackson 3 Free Throws Made Norman Powell 7
J.P. Tokoto 4 Steals Norman Powell 5
N/A Blocks Wanaah Bail 1
Team Stats Summary
 
Team Points FG% 3PM-3PA FTM-FTA Assists Rebounds Blocks Steals Turnovers
North Carolina 78 41.8 8-23 14-19 15 31 0 13 11
UCLA 56 38.6 1-14 21-33 7 36 3 7 23