CHAPEL HILL, N.C. — Isiah Thomas stood on the sideline and ordered his undersized Florida International team to spread the court against the defending national champions.
That’s when North Carolina’s Deon Thompson walked over and teasingly asked why Thomas had to make the bigger Tar Heels defend so much on the perimeter.
“He just started laughing and said, ‘Man, that’s the only thing I can do,’” Thompson said.
Yes, the Tar Heels, ranked sixth in the nation by The Associated Press, were too talented and just too big in their 88-72 victory over the Golden Panthers in the 2K Sports Classic on Monday night. And it was a reminder that Thomas could be in for a frustrating debut season with the long-struggling FIU program.
Thompson scored 20 points to lead the Tar Heels (1-0), who shot 56 percent and led by double digits much of the way to kick off their centennial season against Thomas — the Hall of Fame player and former NBA coach who inherits a program with nine straight losing seasons.
Marvin Roberts had 18 points for the Golden Panthers (0-1), who shot 37 percent. North Carolina led 46-30 at halftime, then pushed the margin to 25 points in the first 5 minutes of the second half to eliminate any chance of a Hollywood-esque story line for Thomas.
No. 13 Cal 75, Murray St. 70
BERKELEY, Calif. — Jerome Randle scored 18 points and Patrick Christopher sparked a key second-half run that helped No. 13 California open its season with a 75-70 victory over Murray State on Monday night in the 2K Sports Classic.
No. 16 Ohio St. 100, Alcorn State 60
COLUMBUS, Ohio — Evan Turner recorded the second triple-double in program history, getting 14 points, 17 rebounds and 10 assists in the 16th-ranked Buckeyes’ 100-60 victory over Alcorn State on Monday night in the 2K Sports Classic.
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