UNC bit hard to figure
Coach Roy Williams said it might have been North Carolina’s best 8 minutes of basketball all season.
After Valparaiso had rallied from a 17-point deficit to tie the score Sunday night, the Tar Heels scored 27 of the next 29 points to pull away for an easy 90-58 win at the Smith Center.
“When we play the way we can, we are capable of going off to 19-2 runs, scoring 50 points in 15 minutes,” said junior wing Marcus Ginyard.
Problem is, North Carolina doesn’t always play the way it’s capable. Twelve days earlier, Williams was infuriated with poor defense in an 88-78 win against Nicholls State.
That’s why it’s difficult to evaluate top-ranked North Carolina, which is 14-0 after Wednesday night’s final pre-ACC test, a 90-61 victory over Kent State in which Tyler Hansbrough scored 25 points to lead the Tar Heels.
The Tar Heels have passed every test, but haven’t played a team ranked in the current Associated Press Top 25.
North Carolina won six in a row away from home, but victories at Ohio State and Kentucky aren’t impressive because those teams are a combined 15-9.
(11) Indiana 79, Iowa 76: Freshman Eric Gordon scored 25 points, D.J. White had 16 points and 15 rebounds and the Hoosiers (12-1) held off a furious late rally by Hawkeyes (7-7) for a victory in Iowa City, Iowa, in the Big Ten opener for both teams.
(25) Wisconsin 70, Michigan 54: Reserve freshman Jon Leur scored a career-high 25 points and the Badgers (11-2) beat the Wolverines (4-9) in a Big Ten opener in Ann Arbor, Mich.
Also: (13) Pittsburgh 96, Lafayette 75 (Pitt: Keith Benjamin 20 pts). … (14) Texas 67, TCU 59 (UT: Damion James 29 pts, 14 rebs). … (18) Mississippi 86, Alabama A&M 50 (Ole Miss: David Huertas 17 pts) … (20) Dayton 83, Akron 81 2OT (Dayton: Kurt Huelsman 18 pts, Akron: Nick Dials 19 pts). … (23) Rhode Island 94, Fairleigh Dickinson 63 (URI: Jimmy Baron 22 pts, FDU: Manny Ubilla 39 pts).
Women
Benched for the first half for missing curfew, Candace Parker scored 17 points and third-ranked Tennessee beat No. 15 DePaul 102-68 in Chicago.
Also: (6) Rutgers 55, Pepperdine 45 (RU: Matee Ajavon 16 pts; Pepp: Daphanie Kennedy 10 pts). … (7) Georgia 93, Presbyterian 49 (UG: Megan Darrah 20 pts). … (9) Baylor 89, North Carolina A&T 48 (BU: Rachel Allison 28 pts).