CHAPEL HILL, N.C. (AP) — Luke Maye knocked down outside jumpers, hit the glass and scored inside — even throwing in a nifty spin move on a post bucket — for the best scoring performance of his career.
Ninth-ranked North Carolina needs this version of Maye, too.
The 6-foot-8 junior had 26 points and 10 rebounds to help the Tar Heels beat Northern Iowa 86-69 in Friday night’s season opener, a fast start for a one-time reserve now thrust into a leading role for the reigning national champions.
“Whether I score 26 or whether I score two, it’s not going to make a difference to me,” Maye said. “I just want to go out there and play my best and help my team do the best we can.”
Big men Kennedy Meeks, Isaiah Hicks and Tony Bradley Jr. are gone from last year’s title winner, leaving behind Maye and an inexperienced crop of big men.
Maye made 11-of-16 shots, including two 3-pointers, in 28 minutes.
“He’s quick to shoot it and he’s got no fear,” Northern Iowa coach Ben Jacobson said. “Tonight we had a couple where we didn’t give him much space ... and he made 3-pointerss.”
Freshman Garrison Brooks added 14 points for the Tar Heels, who didn’t have Final Four Most Outstanding Player Joel Berry II and Pittsburgh graduate transfer Cameron Johnson due to injuries.
Regardless, the Tar Heels shot 50 percent and blew open a 14-point halftime lead to as many as 31 points late.
Spencer Haldeman had 15 points to lead Northern Iowa, which had upset the top-ranked Tar Heels at home in November 2015.
But the Panthers never came close to duplicating that magic.
The Panthers are picked to finish second in the Missouri Valley Conference, but this game just got away from them.
With top big man Bennett Koch getting in early foul trouble, Northern Iowa relied on the 3-point shot and made 13-of-28 — though it got nothing inside the arc and only got to the foul line nine times through the first 36 minutes before getting there several times late in a blowout.
Northern Iowa’s Isaiah Brown made just 9 of his 41 3-pointer attempts (22 percent) as a freshman, but hit 3-of-6 Friday and finished with 13 points against UNC.
“He worked hard over the summer, but the last month he’s put in a lot of time,” Jacobson said. “And you can see it.”
Next Up
Northern Iowa: The Panthers host Alcorn State on Monday.