CHAPEL HILL, N.C. | Isiah Thomas stood on the sideline and ordered his undersized Florida International team to spread the court against the defending national champions.</p><p> That&rsquo;s when North Carolina&rsquo;s Deon Thompson walked over and teasingly asked why Thomas had to make the bigger Tar Heels defend so much on the perimeter.</p><p> &ldquo;He just started laughing and said, &lsquo;Man, that&rsquo;s the only thing I can do,&rsquo; &rdquo; Thompson said.</p><p> Yes, the Tar Heels were too talented and just too big in their 88-72 victory over the Golden Panthers in the 2K Sports Classic on Monday night. And it was a reminder that Thomas could be in for a frustrating debut season with the long-struggling FIU program.</p><p> But for Thomas, it was a start.</p><p> &ldquo;The thing I liked about our team was we fought,&rdquo; Thomas said. &ldquo;The first thing you&rsquo;ve got to do in order to win is you&rsquo;ve got to learn how to fight.&rdquo;</p><p> Thompson scored 20 points for the sixth-ranked Tar Heels, who shot 56 percent and led by double digits much of the way against Thomas &mdash; the Hall of Fame player and former NBA coach who inherits a program with nine straight losing seasons.</p><p> Marvin Roberts had 18 points for the Golden Panthers, who shot 37 percent. North Carolina led 46-30 at halftime and pushed the margin to 25 points in the first 5 minutes of the second half. </p><p> The game offered a glimpse of what remains from the North Carolina squad that rolled over Michigan State in last season&rsquo;s NCAA title game. </p><p>While four starters are gone, there&rsquo;s still plenty of talent and, most notably, size on a squad that showed plenty of balance against the Golden Panthers.</p><p><hr class="infobox-hr-separator" /> <div class="infobox"> <strong><span class="infobox-head">OTHER top 25 GAMES </span></strong><br /> &bull;No. 13 California vs. Murray State: late</p><p>&bull;At No. 16 Ohio State 100, Alcorn State 60</p><p><strong><span class="infobox-head">HIGHLIGHTS </span></strong><br /> &bull;<strong>Evan Turner </strong>started his junior season by doing something only <strong>Dennis Hopson </strong>had ever done in an Ohio State uniform. Turner recorded the second triple-double in program history, getting 14 points, 17 rebounds and 10 assists in the Buckeyes&rsquo; victory. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s real cool to get a triple-double and to be in the same company as a great player like Dennis Hopson,&rdquo; Turner said.</p><p></div>