Joel Berry and the North Carolina basketball team picked up where they left off last April by beating Memphis in a so-called “secret scrimmage” in Memphis on Friday.
Berry, who earned Most Outstanding Player honors at the Final Four for leading the Tar Heels to the national championship, scored a game-high 14 points while adding four assists and four steals in a 70-64 victory against the Tigers.
Berry was 4 of 6 on 3-pointers to pace UNC, which shot only 40.4 percent in the game and was 7 of 20 on 3-pointers in the closed exhibition game. Luke Maye was the only other Tar Heel to score in double figures with 11 points while freshman big man Garrison Brooks recorded 11 rebounds.
In addition to its cold shooting, UNC turned the ball over 21 times, but offset the miscues by handing out 17 assists on 23 field goals. The Tar Heels also outrebounded the Tigers 43-34, a positive sign considering the youth of their frontcourt.
Kyvon Davenport and Jamal Johnson led the Memphis with 11 points. The Tigers shot 35.7 percent from the floor and committed 18 turnovers.
UNC will play a public exhibition game against Barton next Friday at the Smith Center before opening the regular season with a home game against Northern Iowa on Friday, Nov. 10.
