University of North Carolina Athletics
North Carolina
No Carolina St
Tar Heels End N.C. State's Home Winning Streak
February 9, 2000 | Men's Basketball
Feb. 9, 2000
By ELIZABETH A. DAVIS
Associated Press Writer
RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) - Brendan Haywood scored 19 points and Joseph Forte added 16 Wednesday as North Carolina stopped North Carolina State's unbeaten streak at home with a 70-62 win.
North Carolina (15-9, 6-4 Atlantic Coast Conference) has won five in a row over the Wolfpack (15-6, 5-5), which had won 14 straight games in the new Raleigh Entertainment and Sports Arena.
The Tar Heels have not lost in Raleigh since dropping a 78-75 game on Feb. 3, 1996.
N.C. State got as close as five in the final 1 1/2 minutes, but could not overcome the Tar Heels' 40-point performance in the paint.
Damon Thornton's putback and free throw trimmed North Carolina's lead to 63-58 with 1:32 to go, but Ed Cota sealed the win with a 3-pointer. Max Owens then tipped in one of Cota's missed free throws to restore a 10-point lead at 68-58.
Cota finished with 11 assists and six points. Thornton led the Wolfpack with 18 points.
Justin Gainey hit a 3-pointer and then grabbed a loose ball and hit a lay-in with 5:01 to go to cut the lead to 57-52. But North Carolina's lead increased to nine, 61-52, after Kris Lang's lay-in with 3:46 to go.
The Tar Heels increased its two-point halftime lead to eight with an 18-9 run to go up 46-38 after back-to-back 3s by Owens with 10:22 left.
Forte hit a 3-pointer to give North Carolina a 51-40 lead with 8:36 remainning, but N.C. State could not trim the lead to less than nine until five minutes left.
North Carolina finished the first half with a 19-8 run to take a 28-26 lead at halftime, its first lead of the half since making the first basket of the game.
