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
- Referees:
- Paul Faia
- Mike Reed
- Les Jones
2025-26 Southwestern Athletic Conference Standings
| Team | CONF | GB | OVR |
|---|---|---|---|
| Prairie View A&M | 0-0 | - | 2-0 |
| Alabama A&M | 0-0 | - | 1-1 |
| Grambling | 0-0 | - | 1-1 |
| Mississippi Valley State | 0-0 | - | 1-2 |
| Alabama State | 0-0 | - | 0-1 |
| Florida A&M | 0-0 | - | 0-1 |
| Alcorn State | 0-0 | - | 0-2 |
| Arkansas-Pine Bluff | 0-0 | - | 0-2 |
| Bethune-Cookman | 0-0 | - | 0-2 |
| Jackson State | 0-0 | - | 0-2 |
| Southern | 0-0 | - | 0-2 |
| Texas Southern | 0-0 | - | 0-2 |
2025-26 Atlantic Coast Conference Standings
| Team | CONF | GB | OVR |
|---|---|---|---|
| California | 0-0 | - | 2-0 |
| Clemson | 0-0 | - | 2-0 |
| Florida State | 0-0 | - | 2-0 |
| Georgia Tech | 0-0 | - | 2-0 |
| Louisville | 0-0 | - | 2-0 |
| Miami | 0-0 | - | 2-0 |
| NC State | 0-0 | - | 2-0 |
| North Carolina | 0-0 | - | 2-0 |
| Notre Dame | 0-0 | - | 2-0 |
| Pittsburgh | 0-0 | - | 2-0 |
| SMU | 0-0 | - | 2-0 |
| Virginia | 0-0 | - | 2-0 |
| Wake Forest | 0-0 | - | 2-0 |
| Duke | 0-0 | - | 1-0 |
| Stanford | 0-0 | - | 1-0 |
| Syracuse | 0-0 | - | 1-0 |
| Virginia Tech | 0-0 | - | 1-0 |
| Boston College | 0-0 | - | 1-1 |

