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University of North Carolina Athletics
Cedars History Report: Tar Heels Rout Blue Devils
January 6, 2003 | Men's Basketball
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January 18, 1989: Tar Heels Rout Blue Devils
DURHAM -- King Rice, playing for an injured Jeff Lebo, scored 14 points and has seven assists as 13th-rated North Carolina routed top-ranked Duke, 91-71, at Cameron Indoor Stadium.
Lebo was sidelined with an injured ankle. But Rice, a sophomore, played the finest game of his first two seasons. He hit eight straight free throws down the stretch as Carolina broke open a five-point game in the final nine minutes.
Leading 64-59 with 8:55 to go, the Tar Heels outscored Duke, 12-2, in just over four minutes to grab a 15-point lead. Scott Williams had seven points in this stretch.
Williams came off the bench to lead all scorers with 22 points and grabbed a game-high 11 rebounds. He made 10 of his 12 field goal attempts as Carolina shot 52.5 percent from the floor. UNC also had 43-27 rebounding advantage.
J.R. Reid added 13 points and 10 rebounds, while Kevin Madden had 10 points. The Tar Heels also got a boost from reserves Hubert Davis and Jeff Denny, who scored eight and four points in reserve roles.
Duke's last lead in the game was 52-51 with 13:12 remaining. But, Reid hit a short jumper, Denny canned two free throws and Reid dunked off a Steve Bucknall pass as Carolina reeled off seven straight points.
The Blue Devils shot just 43.8 percent from the floor. Robert Brickey led Duke with 20 points.
Rick Brewer is in his fourth decade with the University of North Carolina athletic department and brings a unique historical perspective to TarHeelBlue.com. A native of North Carolina, Brewer served as UNC's Sports Information Director from 1975 until his retirement from full-time work in 2000. Email Rick Brewer at rbrewer@uncaa.unc.edu.
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