Tar Heels Put Hoyas To Sleep, 74-64

Southeast Region

The game started at 6:45 p.m. here for North Carolina and about 7:15 for Georgetown.

The late start cost the Hoyas, who spotted North Carolina a 15-point first-half lead and lost, 74-64.

The Tar Heels, relying on the outside game in the first half and Mr. Inside, Rasheed Wallace, in the second, fought of a late rush at the Birmingham-Jefferson Civic Center.

“I felt we were a bit tentative in the beginning,” said Hoyas coach John Thompson. “I could understand that. We have some people where this is a new experience.”

With a game plan designed to contain Wallace, the Hoyas opened in a zone defense and dared UNC to beat them with the long shot.

The Tar Heels did, reeling off a 14-0 run in which they hit four straight 3-pointers for a 23-7 lead.

Thompson extended his defense and the Hoyas managed to cut the lead to 35-26 at halftime.

But his strategy was costly.

Wallace, held to two points in the first half, dominated the second, scoring 20. With 17:43 remaining, he made the basket of the night, catching teammate Dante Calabria’s missed 3 and slamming it through in one swooping motion. Wallace’s shot extended the lead to 43-28.

Luckily for Georgetown, freshman point guard Allen Iverson awoke from a first-half slumber to score 21 of his 24 points in the second half.

Iverson scored 13 of his team’s points in a 19-9 second-half run. His two free throws with 11:35 to play cut the lead to 52-47.

Georgetown narrowed the gap to four points a minute later, but could not get closer.

North Carolina 74, Georgetown 64

GEORGETOWN (21-10)

J.Williams 6-8 4-6 16, Harrington 7-16 4-5 18, Reid 0-2 1-2 1, Iverson 8-20 6-9 24, Jacques 1-9 0-0 2, Aw 0-5 0-0 0, Millen 0-2 0-0 0, Church 1-5 0-0 3, Myles 0-2 0-0 0, Nichols 0-0 0-0 0, White 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 23-69 15-22 64.

NORTH CAROLINA (27-5)

Calabria 3-5 0-0 8, Stackhouse 5-9 2-5 12, Wallace 10-13 2-4 22, McInnis 1-8 3-4 5, D.Williams 6-14 4-6 20, Landry 1-6 0-0 3, Sullivan 0-2 2-2 2, Zwikker 1-2 0-0 2, S.Williams 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 27-59 13-21 74.

Halftime-North Carolina 35, Georgetown 26. 3-Point goals- Georgetown 3-12 (Iverson 2-4, Church 1-3, Myles 0-2, Jacques 0-3), North Carolina 7-24 (D.Williams 4-9, Calabria 2-4, Landry 1-5, Sullivan 0-1, McInnis 0-5). Fouled out-Iverson. Rebounds- Georgetown 45 (Hrrington 11), North Carolina 41 (Wallace 12). Assists-Georgetown 9 (Iversonn 3), North Carolina 13 (Stackhouse, Mcinnis 4). Total fouls-Georgetown 18, North Carolina 18. A-17,458.

Kentucky 97, Arizona State 73

The Wildcats, who have won 11 in a row overall and their three tourney games by an average margin of nearly 31 points, beat the Sun Devils in every phase.

ARIZONA STATE (24-9)

Riley 6-16 4-8 20, Brewer 3-4 1-5 7, Bennett 5-12 5-8 16, Capers 0-3 4-4 4, Veal 4-9 0-0 12, Burton 4-10 0-0 12, Bacon 1-4 0-0 2, Zaletel 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 23-58 14-25 73.

KENTUCKY (28-4)

Rhodes 6-8 3-3 16, McCarty 3-4 4-4 10, Riddick 6-8 3-6 15, Delk 11-18 1-2 26, Sheppard 2-5 0-0 4, Pope 1-3 1-2 3, Prickett 1-2 0-0 2, Walker 3-13 2-2 9, Epps 2-3 0-0 4, Harrison 2-2 0-0 6, Edwards 1-2 0-0 2. Totals 38-68 14-19 97.

Halftime-Kentucky 42, Arizona St. 34. 3-Point goals-Arizona St. 13-28 (Veal 4-6, Riley 4-8, Burton 4-10, Bennett 1-3, Capers 0-1), Kentucky 7-14 (Delk 3-5, Harrison 2-2, Walker 1-1, Rhodes 1-2, McCarty 0-1, Pope 0-1, Epps 0-1, Edwards 0-1). Fouled out- None. Rebounds-Arizona St. 32 (Riley 9), Kentucky 40 (Walker 10). Assists-Arizona St. 13 (Capers 5), Kentucky 27 (Rhodes 8). Total fouls-Arizona St. 20, Kentucky 19. A-17,458.