Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: FRIDAY, January 17, 1992 TAG: 9201170174
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B5 EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY
SOURCE: BILL BRILL SPORTSWRITER
DATELINE: WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. LENGTH: Medium
TAR HEELS CONTINUE DOMINATING DEACONS
Today's trivia question: What has been the ACC's most lopsided rivalry for the past decade?Would you believe North Carolina over Wake Forest?
The 14th-ranked Tar Heels (12-2; 3-1) made it nine straight and 21 out of 22 against the Deacons on Thursday with a sparkling second-half outburst that ended in a 90-79 victory.
It has been 13 years and 31 games (27-4 overall, 3-1 ACC) since the Deacons (8-4, 1-3) last won against the Tar Heels in Winston-Salem.
This time, the Tar Heels were simply brilliant in the second half, making 19 of 24 shots (79.2 percent), causing Wake Forest coach Dave Odom to say: "I don't know the last time I've seen a team play so efficiently. It was remarkable."
Odom thought the key play came after a three-point play by Rodney Rogers cut the UNC lead to 79-76 with 2:35 left.
There was a scramble for a loose ball, and Roanoke's George Lynch came up with it and sank a twisting 15-footer. For Lynch, who played on Patrick Henry's state champion team as a junior, it was a career-high 26-point night.
After that, Derrick McQueen turned the ball over twice, the Tar Heels got a pair of layups, and Carolina was off on another run.
This time, the Tar Heels scored 11 straight until McQueen hit a meaningless three-pointer before the buzzer.
Carolina had a 15-2 run in the first half for an 11-point lead, promptly wiped out as Wake Forest scored 17 in a row and took a 42-38 halftime lead.
But the Tar Heels, who made 13 of their first 18 to open the game, hit 13 of 15 shots starting the second half and scored 26 points in seven minutes to take a lead they never lost.
Although Lynch was a key throughout, the spurt that won it was keyed by 7-footer Eric Montross and sophomore guard Derrick Phelps.
Montross scored on four straight lobs inside over a helpless 6-9 Phil Medlin. Then Phelps, shooting 20 percent on three-pointers, made consecutive treys and a short jumper. Phelps, averaging 9.3, had 14 of his 18 points after intermission and also added 11 assists.
Meanwhile, Wake Forest offered only Rodney Rogers (27 points, eight rebounds) and showed its flaws.
The Deacs missed shooting guard Randolph Childress, who is injured and out for the year. They started with 6-8 Anthony Tucker at that spot, and he wasn't the answer.
"You saw two great forwards out there," said UNC coach Dean Smith, speaking of Lynch and Rogers. Of the Deacon sophomore, Smith said, "He reminds me of Derrick Coleman, only better."
While Rogers was spectacular, Lynch was efficient, making 11 of 13, working inside for easy shots and leading all rebounders with nine.
"I thought we showed a lot of composure," Lynch said. "We went inside in the second half, got them in foul trouble, and their big guys had to back off."
Asked why Carolina has such success against the Deacons, Lynch said, "We seem to play well. We have good matchups."
In fact, the Tar Heels have great matchups. Wake, which also lacks a legitimate center, couldn't guard Montross and couldn't shoot from outside against a zone that at least slowed down Rogers.
"I thought our second half was remarkable," Smith said. "We seemed to score every time we had the ball."
Memo: shorter version ran in the Metro edition.