With defensive ace John Henson cheering from the bench, an ice pack on his ailing wrist, North Carolina showed just how deep its talent runs.
Kendall Marshall’s dynamic playmaking turned the rim into a gathering place for a Tar Heels dunkfest. Reggie Bullock buried a couple of huge 3-pointers to get the rout going. Seven-footer Tyler Zeller dominated on the inside. Harrison Barnes showed off some NBA-caliber finishing moves.
The fourth-ranked Tar Heels didn’t even need Henson, their best defensive player and rebounder. Hardly looking short-handed, they romped to an 85-69 victory over Maryland in the quarterfinals of the Atlantic Coast Conference tournament Friday.
North Carolina (28-4) simply had too many weapons for Maryland (17-15), which was essentially a one-man show. Terrell Stoglin scored 30 points, but none of his teammates had more than 11.
“The bench players came in and gave us a lot,” Bullock said. “Hopefully it continues until John gets back.”
Marshall knew he had to step up after Henson sprained his left wrist in the first half.
“I didn’t know how serious it was,” the guard said. “But when he started squirming for a long period of time, I thought it could be something kind of serious. He dealt with a little wrist pain last year. We’re hoping for the best.”
