CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Charlotte was a sea of Carolina blue on Thursday because the UNC basketball group performed Wagner School within the first spherical of the NCAA males’s basketball match.
North Carolina defeated Wagner 90-62 to advance to the spherical of 32.
Even earlier than the tipoff, Tar Heels followers traveled from close to and much to assist their group.
Lorraine Johnson traveled from the Atlanta space for the sport. She and others gathered outdoors of the resort the place the Tar Heels stayed to present them a correct ship off to the Spectrum Heart.
“I’m very excited. I’m an enormous Tar Heel fan. I grew up in North Carolina. I’m from the Excessive Level space,” Johnson stated.
Johnson stated now that she’s retired she couldn’t miss the chance to journey to Charlotte to assist the gamers.
“Even once I was working as a instructor and a principal, we went to each match on break we might go to,” Johnson stated.
Shannon Bridges and her mom Jean Rome drove from Lincolnton for the sport as nicely.
“I graduated from Carolina so shut by, at all times love watching Carolina basketball and are available anytime we are able to get tickets and get right here,” Bridges stated.
North Carolina is the No. 1 seed within the area, a spot this group has earned 18 instances, essentially the most in NCAA historical past.
“I really feel they deserve it as a result of it exhibits their physique of labor of the 12 months, even when they fell brief within the ACC match title,” Johnson stated.
Johnson is glad she was in a position to cheer on them.
“I believe it’s nice for them to have neighborhood assist, and we’ve heard them say, ‘it’s nice to take a look at the stands and see that Carolina blue.’”
With Thursday’s victory, UNC made it to the spherical of 32 and can now face Michigan State Saturday.
In accordance with UNC, that is the Tar Heels’ 53rd NCAA match look. As well as, the final time the Tar Heels received a nationwide title was in 2017 and so they have been additionally a No. 1 seed then.