University of North Carolina Athletics
North Carolina
Virginia
Men's Hoops Overwhelms ACC Rival Virginia, 71-47
June 21, 1999 | Men's Basketball
January 21, 1999
CHAPEL HILL, N.C. - Brendan Haywood scored 12 points and added a career-high 16 rebounds as No. 10 North Carolina overwhelmed cold-shooting Virginia with its powerful inside game 71-47 Thursday night.
The Tar Heels (16-4, 4-2 Atlantic Coast Conference) moved into a third-place tie with Florida State in the league standings, outrebounding Virginia 61-32.
Ademola Okulaja led the Tar Heels with 16 points, while adding 11 rebounds. Haywood's previous rebounding high was 12 earlier this season against California.
The Cavaliers (10-9, 1-6), who missed their first 13 3-point attempts, fell to 0-14 in the Smith Center and 3-56 in Chapel Hill in scoring a season-low point total. Willie Dersch led the way with 13 points.
ACC scoring leader Chris Williams scored two points in the first half and was 0-for-6 from 3-point range as the Cavaliers shot 28 percent in the opening 20 minutes, were outrebounded 27-8 and fell behind 37-17.
The 20-point margin was North Carolina's largest halftime lead of the season.
Williams, averaging 18.4 points, made his first 3-pointer with 17 minutes left as the Cavaliers went on a 12-0 run to close within 12 points. But Ed Cota and Ronald Curry nailed consecutive 3-pointers and Okulaja added a shot in the lane to push the score to 49-31 with 12:56 left.
The Cavaliers never got closer than 13 points the rest of the way as Williams finished with nine points and nine rebounds.
Virginia appeared to be in for a long night from the start as Haywood scored North Carolina's first three baskets on follow shots. Twenty-eight of the Tar Heels' 37 first-half points came in the lane.
North Carolina used a 23-4 run midway through the opening half - including 16 straight points - to put this one away. Reserve Brian Bersticker scored six points during the run, while Okulaja added a 3-pointer and a follow shot as the Tar Heels took a 33-10 lead.
At one point, the Cavaliers missed 11 of 12 shots during the North Carolina spurt.
North Carolina starting forward Jason Capel, who averages 9.8 points and 4.8 rebounds, missed the game because of a virus. Schools officials said Capel was being tested for mononucleosis, which has stricken assistant coach Dave Hanners.
By DAVID DROSCHAK
AP Sports Writer
