Tar Heels Demonstrate Why They Top The Polls

Top 25

Antawn Jamison scored 22 points and Vince Carter added 18 in his homecoming before being injured as No. 1 North Carolina remained undefeated with a 97-46 victory over Bethune-Cookman on Monday night in Daytona Beach, Fla.

Coming off their first overtime game in 57 outings, the Tar Heels (14-0) bolted to an 11-0 lead 4:10 into the game, were ahead by 28 at halftime and won for the 30th time in their last 31 games.

The Wildcats (0-7), who also lost their first seven games a season ago, missed 32 of their first 40 shots.

Five of Carter’s first six baskets were slam dunks, two on alley-oops from Ed Cota and another on a spectacular reverse slam on a fastbreak. The 6-foot-7 junior was presented the key to the city by mayor Bud Asher on Sunday, which was declared “Vince Carter Day.”

Jamison and Carter combined to hit 13 of their first 15 shots, but Carter left the game with 13:46 left after getting hit in the face while going for a loose ball. The Tar Heels also lost inside player Makhtar Ndiaye to a right ankle.

Carter, who suffered a cut under his right eye, a bruised nose and a lost contact lens, was 6 for 7 from the field before leaving and has hit 37 of his last 52 shots over five games. Cota finished with 12 assists.

(7) Stanford 70, (24) Rhode Is. 69

In San Jose, Calif., Kris Weems scored 17 points, including four free throws in the final 1:20, and the Cardinal (10-0) hung on to beat the Rams (6-2) in the first round of the Cable Car Classic.

Rhode Island had a chance for the winning shot after stealing an inbounds pass with 2 seconds left, but Luther Clay’s shot from 4 feet away bounced off the backboard.

(12) New Mexico 112, Holy Cross 61

In Albuquerque, N.M., the Lobos (8-1) set a school record with 18 3-pointers, 12 of them by guards Kevin Henry and Royce Olney, to beat the Crusaders (3-10) in the Lobo Invitational.

New Mexico crushed the Crusaders early by scoring 23 straight points for a 31-2 lead with 11:55 left in the first half. Holy Cross followed with its only semblance of a rally by scoring seven straight, but by halftime New Mexico’s lead was 61-21.

The 18 3-pointers broke the previous high of 17 set against Simon Fraser in 1993. Henry, a freshman reserve, was 7 of 10 on 3s and Olney shot 5 of 9. Henry’s last 3-pointer with 2:17 left set the record, which also is a Western Athletic Conference record.

(15) Fla. St. 80, SW Louisiana 71

In Lafayette, La., Terrell Baker had 23 points and his Florida State teammates hit six free throws in the final 1:23 to lead the Seminoles over the Ragin Cajuns (5-6).

The Seminoles (10-2) led only 72-69 with 1:57 left after Southwestern Louisiana’s Casey Green hit three free throws, but Kerry Thompson and LaMarr Greer combined to hit six free throws in a 38-second span as FSU held on.