North Carolina Tar Heels vs Texas Southern Tigers
| 1 | 2 | T | |
|---|---|---|---|
TXSO | 27 | 37 | 64 |
| 52 | 51 | 103 |
Justin Jackson's 21 points lead top-seeded UNC past Texas Southern 103-64
GREENVILLE, S.C. -- Justin Jackson broke out of a shooting slump with 21 points to help top-seeded North Carolina roll past Texas Southern 103-64 on Friday in the first round of the NCAA Tournament's South Region.
The Atlantic Coast Conference player of the year had made just 20 of 60 shots (33 percent) and 7 of 31 3-pointers (23 percent) in his last four games. But he had 19 points by halftime in this one, helping the Tar Heels (28-7) quickly eliminate any chance of an unprecedented upset.
Jackson, a 6-foot-8 junior, finished 8 of 13 from the field and 5 of 8 from 3-point range with seven rebounds.
Isaiah Hicks added 17 points and Kennedy Meeks had 13 for the Tar Heels, who are a No. 1 regional seed for an NCAA-record 16th time.
Kevin Scott scored 19 points to lead the 16th-seeded Tigers (23-12), the champions of the Southwestern Athletic Conference.
SWAC player of the year Zach Lofton struggled, finishing with nine points on 2-for-11 shooting.
The Tar Heels lost the chance to open in their home state when the NCAA yanked games from Greensboro due to that state's passage of a law limiting protections for LGBT people.
The games moved to South Carolina -- the state's first chance to host since 2002 -- after it removed the Confederate flag from state capitol grounds in 2015.
The Tar Heels will face eighth-seeded Arkansas -- which beat Seton Hall 77-71 -- in Sunday's second round.
Game Information
Greenville, SC
Referee:Paul Faia
Referee:Mike Reed
Referee:Les Jones
2025-26 Standings
| Southwestern Athletic ConferenceSouthwestern Athletic Conference | CONF | GB | OVR |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bethune-Cookman | 14-4 | - | 17-15 |
| Southern | 11-7 | 3 | 17-17 |
| Florida A&M | 11-7 | 3 | 15-16 |
| Alabama A&M | 10-8 | 4 | 18-15 |
| Arkansas-Pine Bluff | 10-8 | 4 | 13-19 |
| Texas Southern | 10-8 | 4 | 12-18 |
| Jackson State | 10-8 | 4 | 12-21 |
| Prairie View A&M | 9-9 | 5 | 19-18 |
| Grambling | 7-11 | 7 | 14-19 |
| Alabama State | 7-11 | 7 | 10-22 |
| Alcorn State | 7-11 | 7 | 9-23 |
| Mississippi Valley State | 2-16 | 12 | 3-30 |
| Atlantic Coast ConferenceAtlantic Coast Conference | CONF | GB | OVR |
|---|---|---|---|
| Duke | 17-1 | - | 35-3 |
| Virginia | 15-3 | 2 | 30-6 |
| Miami | 13-5 | 4 | 26-9 |
| North Carolina | 12-6 | 5 | 24-9 |
| Clemson | 12-6 | 5 | 24-11 |
| Louisville | 11-7 | 6 | 24-11 |
| NC State | 10-8 | 7 | 20-14 |
| Florida State | 10-8 | 7 | 18-15 |
| California | 9-9 | 8 | 22-12 |
| Stanford | 9-9 | 8 | 20-13 |
| Virginia Tech | 8-10 | 9 | 19-13 |
| SMU | 8-10 | 9 | 20-14 |
| Wake Forest | 7-11 | 10 | 18-17 |
| Syracuse | 6-12 | 11 | 15-17 |
| Pittsburgh | 5-13 | 12 | 13-20 |
| Notre Dame | 4-14 | 13 | 13-18 |
| Boston College | 4-14 | 13 | 11-20 |
| Georgia Tech | 2-16 | 15 | 11-20 |
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