How social media reacted to UNC surviving Western Carolina in opener
How social media reacted to UNC surviving Western Carolina in opener
Aidan Jensen, Tar Heels WireTue, November 3, 2026 at 4:16 AM UTC
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College basketball is finally back. On Monday night, the North Carolina Tar Heels welcomed Western Carolina to Chapel Hill for their season opener.
Monday was a little more special than your typical opener, with Michael Malone officially making his UNC head-coaching debut. Malone led North Carolina to a pair of preseason wins in three tries, with plenty to like and plenty to fix.
Monday was ugly, but the Tar Heels found a way to win. Anchored by strong second-half free throw shooting and a balanced scoring attack, UNC withstood multiple Catamount charges for an 80-72 victory.
North Carolina (1-0) shot 25-of-35 from the charity stripe, making 17 attempts in the second half alone, including five straight that extended a 64-62 advantage to seven points. Utah transfer Terrence Brown, who finished his Tar Heel debut with 14, made a game-high eight free throws.
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Matt Able (18), Neo Avdalas (13) and Maximo Adams (10) each scored in double-figures, showcasing the depth Malone praised after UNC's preseason opener. This helped counter a horrific night on the glass for North Carolina, out-rebounded by nine against a much-smaller Western Carolina (0-1) team.
The Tar Heels aren't known for their perimeter defense, which struggled again on Monday night. The Catamounts nailed 42% of their attempts from deep, with star guard Jaeden Roberts making four before fouling out late. UNC held Western to just two field goals on its final 10 attempts, though, closing a near-shocker on Night One.
How'd social media reacts to North Carolina's win in its season-opener? Take a look below...are they any different from yours?
Well-deserved firsts!UNC basketball is back..good or stressful?Postgame thoughtsKarma is a...Matt Able needs to be more involvedThese fans not happyAnyone else miss Seth Trimble?Fist-bumps all around!Not the type of stat...or flashback...you wantWinning combos?You love the honesty from UNC players.
This article originally appeared on Tar Heels Wire: How social media reacted to UNC surviving Western Carolina in opener
Source: “AOL Sports”
