Two-time Atlantic Coast Conference defensive player of the year John Henson returned after missing three games with a sprained left wrist and contributed 13 points, 10 rebounds and four blocked shots. But Tar Heels point guard Kendall Marshall, who had 18 points on 7-for-8 shooting with 11 assists, broke his right wrist midway through the second half.
Marshall was injured when he was fouled by Ethan Wragge on a drive to the basket with 10:56 remaining. Marshall jumped up after being knocked to the floor and made one of two free throws. But those were his final points of the game. He missed the front end of a 1-and-1 with 7:09 remaining and did not shoot again, although he had two assists before coming out of the game to stay with 1:54 to play.
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"Let's get the bad stuff out of the way first," UNC coach Roy Williams in his opening remarks at the post-game press conference. "Kendall's got a fracture of the scaphoid bone of the right wrist. We'll speak to the hand specialist tonight with Kendall and his family and we'll see what happens after that."
North Carolina (31-5) already had 7-foot ACC player of the year Tyler Zeller and 6-9 James Michael McAdoo to guard the lane against the Blue Jays (29-6). The 6-11 Henson gave the Tar Heels another intimidating roadblock.
"His length, his athleticism, the way he runs the floor and blocks shots ? he brings a lot to his team," said Creighton's All-American forward Doug McDermott, who had 20 points. "They were hitting shots and we didn't have any answers"
All five UNC starters scored in double figures and the Tar Heels were never seriously threatened in the second half, despite off-nights by their top two stars. Zeller took only seven shots en route to 11 points, five below his average. All-ACC forward Harrison Barnes finished with 17 points but was 4-for-15 from the field until a late surge. Barnes and McDermott were high school teammates in Iowa.
"We had to hope they missed some shots and when they missed, the ball bounced our way," said Bluejay coach Greg McDermott, Doug's father. "Because their ability to rebound the basketball is a lot to overcome."
UNC averaged 81.8 points and Creighton 79.4 and the game was played at the up-tempo expected. The Tar Heels took the early advantage behind Marshall and never trailed after 12-11 with 13:44 left in the first half. Only a 7-0 closing burst brought the Bluejays within 43-35 at the break.
But North Carolina scored the first four points of the second half, and a 9-0 run sparked by Henson and Marshall pushed the lead to 61-42 with 14 minutes left. The closest Creighton came after that was 12 points with 5:15 remaining, and Barnes answered by hitting back-to-back three-pointers.
UNC shot 51% from the field and 50% from three-point range while out-rebounding Creighton, 44-35.
"It was a great win for our kids and it was a team game, to say the least," Williams said. "But it's sort of overshadowed by what's happened to a wonderful young man right now."
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