CHAPEL HILL, N.C. _ North Carolina coach Roy Williams called the Tar Heels' preaseason the toughest of his career.
With four players out with injuries, and a team full of new players, Williams had to piece together a lineup he wasn't sure would work.
On Wednesday, in their season-opener against Notre Dame, the Tar Heels had their struggles early on, but ultimately overcame them.
UNC freshman Cole Anthony, a preseason All-ACC pick, got hot in the second half, helping the Tar Heels to a 76-65 victory.
Anthony led all scorers with 34 points and added 11 rebounds. UNC is now 16-1 under Williams in season-openers, and survived what will likely be one of its toughest early season games without Brandon Robinson, one of its better players.
Robinson injured his ankle last Friday in the UNC's exhibition game against Winston Salem State. He is expected to miss at least a couple of weeks.
The Tar Heels entered the 2019-20 season with almost an entirely new roster. Their top five scorers from the 2018-19 team have all moved on to the NBA. So finding out where their scoring would come from was one of the questions entering the season.
The answer is Anthony. He scored 23 of his 34 points after halftime, and was 6-for-11 from behind the 3-point line.
UNC junior forward Garrison Brooks, the Tar Heels' leading returning scorer, was aggressive early in Wednesday's game, but did not find much success scoring. He scored 10 points and had 9 rebounds.
For the most part, the Tar Heels played well defensively, with the exception of a few open shots. While the Fighting Irish did not turn it over much, they shot 35% from the floor.
UNC (1-0) will play at UNC-Wilmington on Friday.
