Jan. 25, 2007

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Chapel Hill, NC -- After a month-long break, North Carolina was eager to hit the Dean E. Smith Center hardwood again. Carolina head coach C.B. McGrath utilized a constant rotation that had five Tar Heels scoring in double digits. North Carolina gradually grew their lead in the second half, leading by as many as 54 in the Tar Heels' 103-54 win over Montreat.

Montreat, playing on a limited roster, was only nine deep and unable to keep up for most of the game; their leading scorer only put up 9 points.

Terrence Petree led all scorers with 19 points off the bench, connecting on 6-8 from the field as well as hitting 70 percent at the free throw line.

"I think we really came together and pushed the ball well, but only in spots" said Petree. "We need to be more aggressive on defense."

Despite an early Montreat lead, several scoring droughts coupled with North Carolina runs fueled by Brad Jones and Petree had the Cavaliers down 51-20 at the half.

Despite the large lead, maintaining intensity was the biggest challenge for the Tar Heels.

"We got tired more quickly than we normally would," coach C.B. McGrath said. "We made bad decisions on the break and didn't box out too well."

Nick Thomas, who played in his first game of the season due to a stress fracture, contributed a solid 10 points, 3 rebounds, and 2 assists off the bench.

JB Tanner scored 17 points and was 3-4 from the 3-point line. Overall, the Tar Heels shot 52.5% from the field and held Montreat to 33.3 percent overall and 10% from the 3-point line.

James Gallagher, Brad Jones, and Patrick Moody contributed 7 rebounds apiece.