CHAPEL HILL – Sixth-ranked North Carolina shot better than 65 percent from the field, including a blistering 71 percent first half effort, as the Tar Heels topped visiting UNC Pembroke, 124-63, in a preseason exhibition matchup on Friday evening in the Dean E. Smith Center.
 
The setback is the second of the preseason for the Braves who will now have a short turnaround before taking on the Houston Cougars on Saturday evening in Texas. The Tar Heels will get a week-long break before opening their 2016-17 season on November 13 at Tulane.
 
Junior college transfer Nigel Grant scored 11 points and added seven boards to pace the Black & Gold, who also got 10 points off the bench from fellow newcomer Andrew Evans. The Braves shot just 26.5 percent from the floor on the night, but that was partially the result of nine blocks by North Carolina.
 
Six players scored in double figures for UNC, including Joel Berry II who poured in a game-best 20 points on 5-of-6 field goal shooting and a 7-of-8 success rate from the charity stripe. Justin Jackson and Isaiah Hicks tacked up 16 points apiece for the hosts, while Luke Maye came off the bench to add 15.
 
The Braves kept it a two-possession game through the first 5-1/2 minutes, but North Carolina used a 22-3 run over the next seven minutes to pull away for good. The hosts would eventually head into the intermission with a 61-30 advantage.
 
UNCP will board the redeye at Raleigh/Durham International Airport on Saturday morning and make the 3-hour flight to central Texas. Saturday's evening's tipoff in Houston's Hofheinz Pavilion is scheduled for 7 p.m. CDT. Former Pembroke State student-athlete and coach Kelvin Samson is in his second year as head coach of the Cougars.