University of North Carolina Athletics
North Carolina
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Dartmouth
Tar Heel Front Line Overpowers Dartmouth
June 21, 1999 | Men's Basketball
December 19, 1998
HANOVER, N.H. (AP) - With its two starting guards injured, No. 6 North Carolina relied on its dominating front line of Kris Lang, Brendan Haywood and Ademola Okulaja to overpower Dartmouth 82-68 Saturday.
Lang scored 20 points and grabbed 10 rebounds, Haywood had 13 points and 11 boards and Okulaja 11 points and five rebounds against the smaller Ivy Leaguers. Reserve Brian Bersticker, 6-foot-10, added eight points and six rebounds.
North Carolina (12-1), playing at Dartmouth for the first time after a tough victory against Louisville on Thursday, led by as many as 16 in the first half, and 19 in the second, but could never blow away the spirited Big Green (4-4).
The Tar Heels led only 42-35 at the half before Lang hit a jump hook, a lay-up and two free throws to make it 50-37. The Big Green never got closer than 11 again.
Dartmouth, with only one starter as tall as 6-9, was no match inside for the Tar Heels, whose front line measured 7-0, 6-11 and 6-9. North Carolina outrebounded Dartmouth 43 to 26, and outscored Dartmouth 20-6 on second chance shots.
The Big Green was forced to rely almost entirely on the outside shooting of Shaun Gee, Ian McGinnis and Greg Buth. Gee made three 3-pointers and finished with 24 points, McGinnis was 3-of-3 from 3-point range for 19 points and Buth hit four 3s for 16 points.
Dartmouth took 29 of its 65 shots from 3-point range, and hit 12, getting more than half its points on 3s.
The Tar Heels needed the frontline work with starting guards Ed Cota and Jason Capel out with injuries. Their replacements, Terry Newby and Max Owens, managed 13 points on 5-for-13 shooting from the field. Newby added eight assists.
Cota and Capel average 21.4 points a game.
Gee gave Dartmouth a good start with its first seven points for a 7-4 lead, and it was 16-16 before North Carolina went on a 11-0 run, behind five points from Michael Brooker.
The margin grew to 34-16 before Dartmouth went on a 13-2 run that included two 3s by Buth and one by McGinnis.
The Tar Heels opened up the lead in the second half, leading 67-48 after two more dunks by Haywood and three baskets from Bersticker.
Dartmouth managed to slice the lead to 76-65 with just more than three minutes left, but Haywood's dunk started a run of six straight points before Gee's final 3.
North Carolina holds a 6-1 lead in the series against Dartmouth dating to an opening loss in 1941. Dartmouth never got closer than 19 again until this game. The last time the teams played, North Carolina won by 30 at home.
By MIKE RECHT
Associated Press Writer
