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National Basketball Association
BOXSCORE | RECAP
North Carolina 107, Oklahoma State 75
When: 10:30 PM ET, Tuesday, November 22, 2016
Where: Lahaina Civic Center, Lahaina, Hawaii
Officials: # Tom Eades, # Donnie Eppley, # Ted Valentine
Attendance: 2400

Joel Berry II turned in a stellar performance to help No. 4 North Carolina avenge a very old loss with a resounding 107-75 victory over Oklahoma State in a Maui Invitational semifinal game Tuesday night at Lahaina Civic Center in Lahaina, Hawaii.

Berry recorded 24 points, five rebounds, four assists and three steals for North Carolina (6-0), which will play No. 16 Wisconsin in the championship game Wednesday. The Badgers advanced with a 73-57 victory over Georgetown.

Six players scored in double figures for the Tar Heels. Justin Jackson tallied 22 points, eight rebounds and six assists. Isaiah Hicks finished with 13 points and eight rebounds.

Jawun Evans scored 30 points for Oklahoma State (4-1). Lindy Waters III had 10.

"They've got so many weapons, and I thought Justin Jackson was off the charts tonight," Oklahoma State coach Brad Underwood said. "He was tremendous. Joel was great. And those two guys made it very difficult."

This was just the second time North Carolina and Oklahoma State faced each other. Oklahoma State, then known as Oklahoma A&M, prevailed in the previous matchup 70 years ago, beating North Carolina 43-30 in the 1946 NCAA championship game at the original Madison Square Garden to claim the program's second consecutive national title.

This time, North Carolina seized control early. The Tar Heels took an 11-2 lead on a 3-pointer by Kenny Williams, went up 18-5 on a layup by Hicks and took a 22-8 lead on a layup by Tony Bradley.

"Boy, did they punch us in the mouth early, and it was an uphill battle from there," Underwood said. "And all the credit -- that's a very, very good basketball team. If we play a better basketball team this year than them, boy, I hope it's deep into March, and we've got an opportunity to grow."

Berry said the early barrage was part of his team's game plan.

"We knew that they were going to come out and try to hit us first, and so we had to hit them first," Berry said. "And I think we did a good job of doing that."

The Cowboys cut the deficit to single digits on a layup by Evans, but the Tar Heels quickly pushed the lead back to 15 and carried a 51-38 advantage into the locker room at the break.

The Tar Heels mounted a 12-0 run early in the second half to take a 70-42 lead. Evans hit a 3-pointer to spark a 10-0 spurt for the Cowboys, but the Tar Heels responded with a 15-2 burst to stretch the lead to 87-55 on a jumper by Nate Britt.

The contest featured a matchup between two of the nation's top point guards. Berry and Evans did not disappoint.

Berry was masterfully efficient, making 7 of 10 field-goal attempts, 4 of 6 from 3-point range and all six of his free-throw opportunities. Evans lived up to his billing, too, making 13 of 25 from the field and 2 of 5 from long distance in his third 30-point game of the season.

North Carolina shot 57.8 percent from the field, made 8 of 17 from 3-point range and accumulated a 44-32 rebounding advantage. Oklahoma State shot 36.1 percent and made 6 of 22 from beyond the arc.

NOTES: Oklahoma State went into the game averaging 104.8 points. The Cowboys reached the 100-point mark in each of their first three games, the first time they accomplished that feat since 1993-94. ... G Brandon Robinson came off the bench for North Carolina a night after needing stitches to close a wound caused by an elbow to the face against Chaminade. He scored two points in nine minutes Tuesday. ... Earlier in the day, former North Carolina star and NBA legend Michael Jordan received a Presidential Medal of Freedom from President Barack Obama during a ceremony at the White House.
Top Game Performances
 
Oklahoma State   North Carolina
Jawun Evans 30 Scoring Joel Berry II 24
Brandon Averette 1 Assists Justin Jackson 6
Jeffrey Carroll 5 Rebounds Isaiah Hicks 8
Thomas Dziagwa 2 Free Throws Made Justin Jackson 7
Jeffrey Carroll 2 Steals Joel Berry II 3
Mitchell Solomon 2 Blocks Tony Bradley 1
Team Stats Summary
 
Team Points FG% 3PM-3PA FTM-FTA Assists Rebounds Blocks Steals Turnovers
Oklahoma State 75 36.1 6-22 17-23 5 28 4 9 14
North Carolina 107 57.8 8-17 25-29 16 42 3 8 16