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Coastal Carolina
No. 9 North Carolina Cruises Past Coastal Carolina, 105-72
December 30, 2003 | Men's Basketball
Dec 30, 2003
By DAVID DROSCHAK
AP Sports Writer
CHAPEL HILL, N.C. - Rashad McCants responded when No. 9 North Carolina needed his scoring touch the most.
The sophomore matched his career high with 28 points and the Tar Heels didn't miss two of their key starters in a 105-72 victory over Coastal Carolina on Tuesday night.
North Carolina (8-1) had little trouble without inside players Sean May (ankle) and Jawad Williams (concussion) in a warmup for this weekend's showdown at No. 8 Kentucky, shooting 57 percent.
oth players were injured Sunday in a win over North Carolina-Wilmington, but could be ready for the Wildcats in Rupp Arena this Saturday.
"I knew somebody needed to pick up the slack offensively," said McCants, who was 10-for-16 with five 3-pointers. "I definitely wanted to fill that spot. That's what I did."
McCants, who was sent to the locker room by coach Roy Williams on Sunday after not cheering for his teammates while on the bench, also had 28 against Penn State in his first collegiate game last season.
"I let the game come to me this time instead of wanting it so much to the point where I'm focusing too hard on making that one shot," McCants said.
North Carolina shot 61 percent in the first half to open a 27-point lead - the biggest at the break so far this season - and were never threatened in the second period as David Noel added 16 points and freshman Reyshawn Terry had a season-high 14.
"We did a great job of getting better tonight," Noel said. "Terry came along and Rashad had a big game and other guys contributed. This was a team effort."
.J. Gallup led Coastal Carolina (5-6) with 21 points.
 Raymond Felton dunks over Coastal Carolina's Pele Paelay for two of his 11 points.  |
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The Tar Heels picked up their defensive intensity without May and Williams, forcing 16 first-half turnovers and 28 overall and limited one of the nation's top 3-point shooting teams to 9-for-23 beyond the arc.
"We got them to turn the ball over and went down and got some easy baskets. That was the key," coach Roy Williams said.
May and Williams combine for 34 points and 20 rebounds a game, but McCants and Noel picked up the scoring slack by getting 15 and 12 in the first 20 minutes, going a combined 11-for-15 from the field.
McCants hit six of his first seven shots, including three 3-pointers as the Tar Heels took a 26-9 lead less than 9 minutes in.
"Rashad can score and he showed it again," point guard Raymond Felton said. "He can put up numbers. It was non-stop. He was hitting open jump shots, he was faking and stepping in. He was on fire. It was his night."
North Carolina also forced six turnovers in the opening 6 minutes to throw Coastal Carolina off its outside game.
