Final Stats Nicholls-UNC Box Score

Chapel Hill, N.C. – The Nicholls State University men's basketball team trailed by as many as 26 points in the first half, and the Tar Heel lead only grew as the game went on as No. 5 North Carolina defeated the Colonels 99-49 at the Dean E. Smith Center Monday night in Chapel Hill.

Playing for the last time in 2011, the Colonels (4-8) had the daunting task of playing a national title contending team in their last non-conference game, as the Tar Heels (10-2) dominated the Colonels on the glass and in the paint, while holding Nicholls to just 49 points on 31-percent shooting on the night.

Bryan Hammond led all Nicholls scorers with 15 points on 7-13 shooting. Trevon Lewis chipped in ten, while Lachlan Prest grabbed a career-high eight boards.

North Carolina pulled down an opponent season-high 72 rebounds on the night, including a season-best 31 offensive rebounds. UNC was able to muster 36 points off of those rebounds, and scored 56 points in the paint.

The Colonels struggled to do what they do best, scoring from the perimeter, as the Tar Heels held Nicholls to 2-of-22 shooting from beyond the arc for a 9-percent clip. After making both of their trey's in the first period, the Colonels missed all eight of their shots in the second half.

The Colonels went into the break trailing 48-22, as the Tar Heels grabbed 21 offensive rebounds in the first half. UNC turned that into 21 second-chance points, including forcing the Colonels into 14 turnovers totaling 18 points.

After both teams couldn't get a shot to fall within the first three minutes of the game, the Tar Heels went on a 6-0 run to put Nicholls in an early hole with 15:24 remaining in the period. Throughout the rest of the half, UNC outscored the Colonels 17-9 and 25-13 over the duration of the first.

The Tar Heels scored 51 points in the second half, shooting 45-percent as a team from the floor. UNC hit 18 shots in the half after making 19 in the first, but only hit four three-pointers overall in the game.

After having only two blocks in the first period, UNC swatted nine in the second half to finish with 11, altering most of the Colonels' shots throughout the night as Nicholls only made 22 shots in the game. Nicholls also didn't go to the free throw line until midway through the second half and only made 3-of-6, all coming from Shane Rillieux.

The Colonels will now have off until January when they open up Southland Conference play against Texas-San Antonio on the road.