|
CHAPELHILL— The oft-criticized Brendan Haywood found himself in an unusual position Saturday afternoon.
Carolina’s 7-foot center had delivered with 18 points and 11 rebounds. He dominated Kentucky in the post and helped the Tar Heels establish a big early lead.
Mysteriously, though, Haywood’s teammates started taking outside jumpers. With each miss, the Wildcats flew down the floor and grabbed the momentum. What was supposed to be a battle between college basketball’s most successful programs turned into a laugher — 93-76 Kentucky.
This time, the question wasn’t what happened to Haywood. It was what happened to everybody else.
“We did shoot too many jump shots and not get the ball inside to Brendan,”Heels head coach Matt Doherty said. “Their zone was good, you have to credit that, but we got good looks and we’ve got to shoot the ball better.
Sophomore guard Joseph Forte finished 8-for-22 from the floor with 19 points, eight of which came in the final minute when the game was decided. His 1-for-6 stretch early in the second half spelled the beginning of the end for No. 6 Carolina (3-2).
Kentucky (2-3) led by three points at the half but quickly fell behind when the Tar Heels’ inside game got going. Forward Kris Lang’s slam and a three-point play from Haywood gave Carolina a 42-40 edge. Another Haywood slam off an Adam Boone drive increased the lead to 48-45 with 16:10 remaining.
Carolina’s following six possessions resulted in six missed jumpers and a turnover. Kentucky pushed the ball down the floor after each miss and got a quick two from Erik Daniels. The energized Wildcats also started hitting from the outside. After connecting on just 2-of-14 treys in the first half, Tayshaun Price and Keith Bogans hit 3-pointers to spark a 12-2 run.
Bogans followed another of Carolina’s 17 turnovers with a 3 to extend the lead to 62-50 and SaulSmith rolled in a triple for a 13-point advantage. By the time Haywood touched the ball again — scoring another three-point play — the Heels were buried.
“Their zone did a good job of really blanketing me, but at the same time they gave up open shots,”Haywood said. “If those 3s go in, then they’re going to get out of the zone and I’ll get more chances.”
The Tar Heels got no closer than nine points the rest of the way. Marquis Estill tacked on a bucket to help the Wildcats pull away as part of his 19-point, 11-rebound night off the bench. Bogans finished with 18 points and Prince 15 as Kentucky shot 51 percent from the field.
Carolina’s field-goal shooting was a respectable 46 percent, but without Haywood’s 7-for-10 showing and Lang’s 7-for-12, that number dipped to 37 percent.
“You just have to take what you’re given. We weren’t hitting our outside shots,”Lang said. “That doesn’t happen often with Joseph Forte out there.”
Doherty apologized to the 21,750 fans and students who had the Smith Center rocking in the first half. Carolina built a 7-0 lead and got it as high as 10 points on a Lang dunk before Kentucky rattled off a 9-0 run thanks to four UNC turnovers in a span of two minutes. TheWildcats finished the half leading 38-35.
“The fans did their part, we didn’t do ours,” Doherty said.
n
NOTES: Carolina still leads the all-time series 16-7. The loss was UNC’s first in the last seven meetings between the schools, dating back to the 1974-75 season. … The Wildcats’ win increased their record total to 1,773, with the Heels stuck on 1,758 after consecutive losses to Michigan State and Kentucky. … Vince Carter was on hand for a halftime ceremony honoring his No. 15 jersey. His is the 37th hanging from the rafters of the Smith Center. Carter was able to attend because he is nursing a knee injury, but a delayed flight and dead car battery made his visit to Chapel Hill an adventuresome one. He said he’s completed his final classes and may graduate Dec. 20. “I think of all the wonderful plays, wonderful moments, a Final Four, Coach (Dean) Smith retiring, me making a decision to leave,” Carter said when addressing the media at halftime. “It brings me great joy to say I wore this uniform.”
|
Today's News