Thirteen first-half turnovers were harmful for the Terrapins, who didn’t commit that many in three entire games last month. Paige afterward sounded almost as excited about that as he was anything else. Berry said, “I’ve seen it personally”. Kennedy Meeks got a steal and dunk.
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“So I had to look real quick”.
Everything was going to script on Tuesday night in Paige’s return. All along, he hoped to be back for this, the game against No. 2 Maryland. The left-hander played with light padding on the back of his right hand.
On Tuesday night, he “only” had a taped up right hand to protect a bone he broke four weeks ago.
Losing this game would be nothing to be ashamed of, because I think it’s one of the toughest games any team has played all year. “A lot of excitement”. But the Terrapins (6-1) hung around. The Smith Center was shaking and well over 100 decibels at that point, making it more tedious for Turgeon and his assistants to make adjustments in the huddle.
“But my body felt better than I thought it would coming off of that break”.
As North Carolina’s Marcus Paige fought through a rash of injuries during the past year, it was easy to forget how good he could be when fully healthy. “They realized they were able to make some plays without him”. And how would others adapt to his return?
Sulaimon hit a pair of 3-point baskets in the first half to keep the Terrapins within range. About a minute later, he made another 3.
In the second half, Maryland rallied behind its star sophomore guard Melo Trimble, who finished with 23 points and 12 assists.
For two years, Paige had been the savior. “I think I’ve got the best backcourt in the country”. And if I am, it’s great. “We haven’t had the best crowd so far this year, but they were sensational tonight”.
It was a great showdown between two top ranked teams, but for the Terrapins, they really struggled in this one, especially with their 21 turnovers that put them behind the eight ball all night long.
“That had the feel of an old ACC Tournament game”, UNC head coach Roy Williams said afterwards. Paige, meanwhile, said it felt like “the middle of January”.
Paige’s return provided a first look at North Carolina at full strength. “In that second half [Trimble] came out and was just on fire”.
It was the same as always on Tuesday, when Paige scored 13 of his 20 points in the second half. Justin Jackson was the team’s leading scorer with 22 points on 8-for-13 shooting.
Paige said he hadn’t called for an alley-oop since he was in high school, “on the playground”.
The Panthers (4-1) were paced by James Robinson and Michael Young, who scored 17 and 16 points, respectively.
That Sulaimon could play so well in such a loud, emotional setting “says a lot about him”, Trimble said.
The victory leaves UNC with some things to work on.
Despite trailing by as many as 13 points, the Terps did end the first half on a 9-3 run. Brice Johnson chipped in 16 points and six rebounds on 7-of-12 shooting as he contributed a solid game as well for the Tar Heels. He said he took more threes to compensate for a lack of explosion.
“It’s weird not having him”, Johnson said.
Meanwhile, Melo Trimble will lead a very talented and grown Maryland side into Tuesday night’s game, as they go in search of win number seven to start the season.
Marcus Paige spent the wee hours of Tuesday night writing a paper for his Globalization class that was due Wednesday morning.
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“I’m a Maryland Terp now”, Sulaimon said. And of course Greivis’ triple double when the Terps stormed back from 9 down with 1:40 left in regulation to get an OT win.
