Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: THURSDAY, February 4, 1993 TAG: 9302040216
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: Landmark News Service
DATELINE: DURHAM, N.C. LENGTH: Medium
DUKE OVERCOMES UNC
February is the time of year when good basketball teams take the step toward the next level if they are going to contend for championships.Fifth-ranked Duke took the first step Wednesday night, playing almost a flawless final four minutes, to beat sixth-ranked North Carolina 81-67.
"This was a continuation of us getting better over the last three weeks," Duke's Mike Krzyzewski said. "But this was a 40-minute game mentally and physically against a team I respect as much as any one."
The Blue Devils also turned the race for first place in the Atlantic Coast Conference into a wide-open affair, although Carolina's Dean Smith said the Blue Devils "are in the driver's seat."
"They've got a couple of tough road games, but they've also gotten a couple of tough ones out of the way. Their non-conference games are at home and [Cameron Indoor Stadium] has been good to them."
With three league losses, the Blue Devils (5-3, 16-3 ACC) could not afford another. The Tar Heels, holders of a two-game lead a week ago, slipped to 6-2 and into a first-place tie with Florida State. Wake Forest is 5-2, and Duke, Virginia (4-3) and Georgia Tech (4-3) are all back in the race.
Wednesday's game was, as expected, nose to nose. Duke jumped out by 11 with five minutes left in the first half, but Carolina outscored Duke 15-3 over a three-minute stretch, took a 30-29 lead and trailed 34-32 at the half.
Through the first 16 minutes of the second half, neither team led by more than four.
"At the beginning of the half," Smith said, "both teams were really going at it."
When it mattered, each of them went to their strengths.
Carolina went inside to 7-foot Eric Montross, who finished with 22 points and 13 rebounds. With Montross scoring nine of Carolina's first 15 points, the Tar Heels took a 47-44 lead with 11:33 to play.
"We did everything we could to stop him," Krzyzewski said, "but Carolina did a great job of getting him the ball."
What stopped Montross were fouls. He got his fourth with 11:21 to go and Carolina was not able to take command when it had a chance.
He was only out for two minutes, but when he returned, the game was knotted at 50.
Duke went to its money man, Grant Hill, who finished with 15 points, but none were bigger than two free throws and a 12-foot jump shot that got the Devils a 56-52 lead.
A Montross bucket on a post move brought the Heels to 57-56, but his free throw missed. Carolina got no closer.
And the Blue Devils suddenly decided to play near-perfect basketball. They scored on their final 11 possessions to make the final score a lot wider than the difference between the two teams.
Tony Lang started it with a breakaway dunk and Thomas Hill, who finished with 16 points and played what Krzyzewski called "his best game overall," finished it with the same.
In between, Hill scored on a lob from Bobby Hurley, Hurley bombed a 3-pointer, Cherokee Parks scored and was fouled on a follow shot and the Devils made 13 of 14 free throws.