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Off the cuff: Well, the only untelevised Tar Heels game is in the books. While the masses might not enjoy watching routs like that, Tar Heel fans do. The game against East Tennessee State was available on ESPN3 on the Internet. If you missed it, you can still watch a replay online.

This may have been the coming-out party for Brice Johnson, who figures to see the majority of playing time despite the fact that fellow freshman Joel James started against ETSU and played five more minutes.

But in 15 minutes, Johnson (who still needs to bulk up some) was the main offensive and defensive force on the court with 12 points and eight rebounds.

James Michael McAdoo failed to score in double figures for the first time this season as he scored nine points in 23 minutes, and he pulled in just two rebounds.

This was the kind of game where the box score looks a little funny though as the game was over after 10 minutes. We still might not know a lot about this team until the ACC schedule begins in a few weeks.

Tar Heels 78, ESTU 55
Tar Heels unselfishly dominate ETSU

Transition fastbreaks, many ending in dunks, along with suffocating defense propelled North Carolina to a 78-55 victory over East Tennessee State that wasn't even as close as the final score. (12/9)

In fact, the Buccaneers managed only 12 points in the first half - that's the fewest points an opponent has ever scored in the Dean E. Smith Student Activities Center during its 27-year history.

Carolina forced 22 turnovers during the game.

Offensively, the Tar Heels were unselfish with a season-high 30 assists on their 31 field goals. The Heels got their first double-figure advantage when Leslie McDonald hit a three to make it 12-2.

UNC got its first 20-point margin when James Michael McAdoo hit a 12-footer to score his first bucket of the game with eight minutes left in the first half.

Carolina extended the lead to 30 when P.J. Hairston drained a three after good ball movement making it 34-4 with 4:45 left in the first half.

In the second half, an array of alley-oop dunks continued to provide highlights as the lead stayed around 35 points until a late 15-5 ETSU run made the final score a bit more respectable.

Eleven Tar Heels scored but only three scored in double figures, including just one starter, Reggie Bullock who tallied 10 points. McDonald hit four of eight threes on his way to a team-high 14 points while freshman Brice Johnson had 12 points.

Johnson may well have been the player of the game as he also added a game-high eight rebounds and slammed in several crowd-pleasing dunks.

The Bucs were playing without several players including their point guard which continued to their problems with the Heels' pressure.

"Defensively during that stretch in the fidrst half, we were very good," said UNC coach Roy Williams, who wasn't pleased with the second-half letdown especially on offense.

The Tar Heels, now 7-2, plays next Saturday night at home against East Carolina.

Boxscore

Highlights below:

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