Freshman sets record in North Carolina’s win

CHAPEL HILL, N.C. — Freshman Cole Anthony had 34 points and 11 rebounds in his college debut, leading No. 9 North Carolina past Notre Dame 76-65 in their opener Wednesday night.

With his father — former UNLV and NBA guard Greg Anthony — in the stands, the Atlantic Coast Conference preseason freshman of the year broke Rashad McCants’ 17-year-old scoring record by a freshman in his first game and finished 12 of 24 from the field with six 3-pointers.

Anthony scored 15 points during a 29-13 second-half run that put the Tar Heels in control.

Prentiss Hubb scored a careerhigh 22 points, T.J. Gibbs added 19 and John Mooney finished with 10 for the Fighting Irish. They led 37-32 just under 2 minutes into the second half.

That’s when Anthony took over. He started the run with a runner, reeled off seven straight points and hit three 3s in a 4minute span, the last of which gave the Tar Heels their first double-figure lead at 61-50 with 9 minutes remaining.

VIRGINIA 48, SYRACUSE 34

Mamadi Diakite scored 12 points, Jay Huff added 11 points and 12 rebounds, and the No. 11 Cavaliers won at Syracuse, N.Y.

The Cavaliers became the first NCAA champion to start the next season with a true road game since UCLA opened the 1967-68 season at Purdue. The Cavaliers have a 12-game winning streak in ACC openers and are 11-0 in ACC openers under head coach Tony Bennett.

Syracuse shot 13 of 55 (23.6 percent) and was outrebounded 47-28, falling behind early and never managing to stage any sort of comeback against the Cavaliers’ Pack-Line defense. It marked the first time the Orange hadn’t scored 40 points since 2013 at Georgetown (39).

Syracuse lost the bulk of its scoring with the early departures of Tyus Battle and Oshae Brissett and Frank Howard, who exhausted his eligibility. Elijah Hughes is the lone returning starter on a team with five freshmen and finished with a teamhigh 14 points, the only player in double figures.

Virginia lost its top three players from last season’s national championship team. Kyle Guy, Ty Jerome, and De’Andre Hunter entered the NBA draft.