ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1997, Roanoke Times
DATE: Monday, March 3, 1997 TAG: 9703040025
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B-1 EDITION: METRO
DATELINE: CHAPEL HILL, N.C.
SOURCE: RALPH BERRIER JR. STAFF WRITER
NORTH CAROLINA FINISHES a perfect run through the second half of the ACC season.
Too bad for North Carolina there isn't a split season in the ACC.
Duke already had clinched the league's regular-season championship, but the Tar Heels could lay claim to a mythical second-half title after their 91-85 victory over the Blue Devils at the Dean E. Smith Center on Sunday.
The hottest team in the ACC? Before Sunday, there may have been a question, because the Blue Devils were trying to end the regular season with a ninth consecutive league victory. That was before Carolina removed any doubts by completing an 8-0 sweep of conference competition following a 3-5 mark during the first half of league play.
Heading into the ACC tournament in Greensboro, where the third-seeded Tar Heels will meet Virginia at 9:30 p.m. Friday, is there any team on a stronger roll than the Tar Heels?
``I think every team in the ACC feels like they're dangerous,'' said Carolina sophomore forward Antawn Jamison, who scored 33 points. ``I think we're dangerous.''
And red hot. Carolina abused the smaller Blue Devils under the glass by scoring scads of layups and outrebounding them 49-18, with 22 of those rebounds coming on the offensive glass.
Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski sparked his team earlier this season by going with a guard-oriented lineup and relegating big man Greg Newton to bench duty. Krzyzewski really needed Sir Isaac Newton on Sunday, because the only way to handle 6-foot-9 Jamison, 7-3 Serge Zwikker and 6-6 Vince Carter would have been to break the laws of gravity.
There was no grounding Jamison, who made 14 of 19 shots and grabbed 11 rebounds. He became the fourth player in Carolina history to achieve 1,000 points and 550 rebounds in his first two seasons.
Zwikker, a fifth-year senior playing his final home game, had 14 points and 10 boards. Carter scored 12 points in a foul-hampered 26 minutes, and Shammond Williams and Ed Cota scored 12 each.
``We don't have anybody like Jamison,'' Krzyzewski said. ``Nobody in the league does. They have two guys that nobody has - Jamison and Carter. When Jamison is playing well, you can't stop him.''
It was Cota, the point guard, who sparked the Tar Heels to their ninth consecutive victory overall. In his customary role off the bench, Cota recorded 12 points and 11 assists, with many of those going to Jamison for layups. That's how the Tar Heels shot 54 percent from the floor (35-for-65).
After committing three turnovers early, Cota ran Carolina's offense efficiently and sparked a 12-0 run that turned a 29-21 deficit into a 33-21 lead with 4:46 left in the first half. Carolina would not trail again.
``We had an advantage in size and they had it in speed,'' said Cota, who notched his second double-double this season.
Duke (23-7, 12-4) combatted height with distance. The Blue Devils took 34 shots from beyond the 3-point stripe and made 17. Both marks were school records. Duke point guard Steve Wojciechowski made six 3s and scored 18 points. Jeff Capel scored 15, Ricky Price 13 and Trajan Langdon 11.
``Duke is much better than they were the last time,'' said Carolina coach Dean Smith. ``We're much better, too. ... I hope we haven't seen the best North Carolina team yet.'' NOTE: please see microfilm for scores.
LENGTH: Medium: 67 lines KEYWORDS: BASKETBALLby CNB