John Henson’s double-double lifts North Carolina to a 101-75 win over Mississippi – NCAA Basketball
John Henson posted a magnificent double-double as North Carolina Tar Heels claimed a 101-75 victory over Mississippi Valley State Delta Devils in their home opener on November 20, 2011 at the Dean E. Smith Center.
Henson, who has emerged as a legitimate contender for All-America and perhaps even National Player of the Year honours, headed all players with 14 rebounds and scored a team-high 18 points in the victory. The big man also dished
out three assists and ended on 7 for 14 shooting from the field and 4 for 6 from free throw line.
"He is come a long way since he first showed up," said Tyler Zeller, a 7-footer with plenty of variances in his repertoire. ". He is much more comfortable. He is not trying force things. He is playing more of a face-up game which
fits his abilities and his length." "So I think you have to try to get him into a position he doesn't want to be in, but that's tough because of how much he's improved."
Harrison Barnes continued the strong play with 18 points and seven rebounds while forward Tyler Zeller had 16 points, 10 rebounds, three blocks and two steals for Carolina. Dexter Strickland contributed 13 points, six assists and
six rebounds. Reggie Bullock and James Michael McAdoo came off the bench with 11 and 10 points, respectively.
Brent Arrington was Mississippi leading scorer with a game-high 33 points. Guard Terrence Joyner added 11 points, four rebounds, three assists and two steals while the other Delta player in double figures was Cor-J Cox with 10
points.
North Carolina shot 46.0 percent (40 for 87) from the field and held the Mississippi Valley State to 38.2 percent (29 for 76). However, rebounds were a big factor in this game as Carolina won the boards battle, 55-35.
The first nine minutes of the game were an up-and-down affair, but the Tar Heels then showed enough fire to take a double-digit lead, 30-19, with 4:50 to go in the first half of the game. The Delta Devils played relatively flat
for rest of the half and North Carolina carried a 14-point lead, 41-27, into the second.
The Tar Heels found their rhythm again in the second half. With about seven minutes left in the game, North Carolina had grabbed a thirty-point lead, 82-52 as Mississippi Valley seemed to have no answers. The one way traffic continued
in the period that followed and the Tar Heels cruised to a win.
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