M.J. Rhett knew playing at top-ranked North Carolina would be memorable enough. Then came something even more unforgettable: his mother walking into the locker room before tipoff in a surprise trip home from Iraq.
Rhett's reunion with his mother offered an emotional pregame scene for the Tigers before their 102-69 loss to the Tar Heels on Tuesday night. Stephanie Rhett is an Army National Guard sergeant who had been serving in Iraq since September, but she returned to the United States earlier in the day and tearfully greeted her 19-year-old son with a big hug.
''I didn't have no idea at all,'' M.J. Rhett said. ''I just saw her face and I was in shock.''
Video of the reunion was played on the Smith Center boards at halftime, drawing a standing ovation from the UNC crowd. Stephanie Rhett sat two rows behind the Tennessee State bench, marking the first time she had seen her son - a 6-foot-8 redshirt freshman - play a college basketball game. Rhett had two points and five rebounds in 17 minutes.
Stephanie Rhett said she'll have to return to Iraq in two weeks, though that will allow her to spend Thanksgiving with family.
''That was unbelievable,'' Tennessee State coach John Cooper said. ''I actually found out this afternoon, so he didn't know. That's a special moment for our group and for the whole team to see that. As I told the team before, we all have something to be thankful for, so obviously that was much bigger than basketball.''
For North Carolina, Reggie Bullock scored a career-high 23 points and Kendall Marshall had 15 assists.
John Henson added 16 points, 10 rebounds and a career-best six assists for the Tar Heels (4-0), who shot 62 percent and had little trouble staying unbeaten. North Carolina led 55-42 at halftime, then used a 14-0 spurt early in the second half to blow the game open and crack the 100-point mark for the second time in three days.
Harrison Barnes also scored 16 for UNC, which had a dozen players score and four reach double figures.
Kellen Thornton scored 15 points to lead the Tigers (2-3), while Kenny Moore added 14. Tennessee State hung around in the first half by hitting seven 3-pointers and shooting 45 percent, but the Tar Heels held the Tigers to 11-for-33 shooting (33 percent) after halftime as they pulled away.
While North Carolina had plenty of big offensive performances, Bullock and Marshall stood out.
Bullock shot 6 of 7 on 3-pointers - the six 3s were also a career high - and came out of the game with students chanting his name and the Tar Heels up 92-56 at the 4:39 mark. Marshall left the game seconds later, ending the day three assists shy of tying the school record set by Raymond Felton in 2003.
It also was Marshall's third game with at least 15 assists in his 24 career starts. No other UNC player has more than one in a career.
North Carolina beat Mississippi Valley State 101-75 in its home opener Sunday, though the Tar Heels struggled with their outside and free-throw shooting. North Carolina made 5 of 19 shots from behind the arc and spent most of the game shooting below 50 percent from the foul line before finishing 16 for 31.
Offense wasn't a problem against the Tigers. The Tar Heels finished with 32 assists on 41 baskets - the 32 assists were the most in nine seasons under coach Roy Williams - while Bullock led the team's 11-for-18 performance from behind the arc.
The game was part of the Las Vegas Invitational. After opening the season against Michigan State in the Carrier Classic in San Diego, the Tar Heels will travel west again to face South Carolina in the semifinal round on Friday.
