College basketball

UNC makes up for lost time vs. Duke

CHAPEL HILL, N.C. -- North Carolina dived head first back into its rivalry with Duke on Sunday.

The Tar Heels salvaged their up-and-down season and ended a slump against their archrival, beating the No. 10 Blue Devils 82-79 in a wild ending to the regular season.

"We've been taking punches to the face all year and we've come off the mat each time," said North Carolina coach Matt Doherty, who was involved in a shouting and shoving incident during the game.

The Tar Heels (16-14, 6-10 ACC) went a program-worst 8-20 last season and lost to the Blue Devils by 29 at home before rebounding this season with one of the nation's youngest teams.

Rashad McCants scored 26 and Raymond Felton added 18 points, eight rebounds and 10 assists as the Tar Heels snapped a six-game skid against Duke.

A 30-footer by Duke's Dahntay Jones that would have tied it came after the buzzer. Officials watched TV replays to confirm the late shot as thousands stormed the floor at the Smith Center.

"I was getting ready to drop to my knees and cry," North Carolina's Jawad Williams said. "But it was good feeling that it didn't count."

Jones led Duke (21-6, 11-5) with 22 points.

There were 21 lead changes before a layup by McCants and a long 3-pointer by Felton gave the Tar Heels a 68-64 lead with 7:03 left.

Duke tied it at 72 with 2:23 left. McCants then hit a 3-pointer and Jackie Manuel added a driving layup for a five-point lead.

The game grew ugly with 8:17 left and the score tied at 63.

Felton was bloodied when he took an elbow on a follow shot by Jones. Doherty was helping him to his feet by near the Duke bench when Blue Devils assistant Chris Collins began to jaw with Doherty.

Duke guard Andre Buckner then came out of the huddle and pushed Doherty with two hands to the chest. Both teams began pushing and shoving before officials restored order.

NO. 6 KANSAS 79, MISSOURI 74: The visiting Jayhawks (24-6, 14-2) needed two improbable long shots to wrap up their second Big 12 championship in a row.

Aaron Miles and Kirk Hinrich both barely beat the shot clock with 3-pointers from well beyond the line in the final 1:20, the deciding plays in the game.

"Kirk told me the next shot he got he was going to make so that one didn't surprise me," Kansas coach Roy Williams said. "Aaron's was just luck."

Hinrich connected for the winner with 23 seconds to go, breaking a tie at 74 with a fadeaway from about 25 feet after Michael Lee rebounded an airball by Nick Collison and threw it outside. Rickey Paulding missed a 3-pointer with 15 seconds left in a bid to tie it and the Tigers (18-9, 9-7) never got another shot.

NO. 7 PITT 56, VILLANOVA 54: Thanks to suspensions the host Wildcats had just half its roster, but even with seven players they gave the Panthers a fight.

It helped that the Panthers missed their last seven free throws, including five by senior point guard Brandin Knight.

The Wildcats (15-14, 8-8 Big East) had the ball and a chance to take the lead on a 3-pointer in the final seconds. But after an errant inbounds pass by Randy Foye, Villanova couldn't get a shot.

Knight had 15 points and Jaron Brown added 14 for Pitt (23-4, 13-3), which enters this week's conference tournament on a six-game winning streak.

NO. 12 SYRACUSE 83, RUTGERS 74: Freshman forward Carmelo Anthony matched his career high with 30 points and added 14 rebounds and six assists for the Orangemen, who finished their first perfect season (17-0) in the Carrier Dome since it opened in 1980.

Anthony had his 18th double double and eclipsed Lawrence Moten's school record of 583 points by a freshman, set in 1991-92.

Syracuse (23-4, 13-3 Big East) became the seventh Division I program with 1,600 wins and the crowd of 33,071 set an NCAA on-campus record. The loss ended a dismal season for Rutgers (12-16, 4-12), which finished last in the West Division and failed to make the conference tournament.

VIRGINIA 80, NO. 13 MARYLAND 78 (OT): Travis Watson had 26 points and 15 rebounds for the host Cavaliers, who snapped a seven-game losing streak in dramatic fashion and swept the Terrapins.

Maryland (19-8, 11-5 ACC) had a chance to tie with 3.7 seconds left, but Steve Blake's heave from the corner was off the mark and Ryan Randle's rebound and putback bounced on the rim before dropping off. Drew Nicholas scored 27 for Maryland, which still clinched the second seed in the ACC tournament with Duke's loss.

Virginia (15-14, 6-10) took a five-point lead in overtime before Jamar Smith hit a free throw for Maryland and Blake hit a 3-pointer to pull the Terrapins within 79-78 with 1:16 left. Watson hit 1 of 2 shots to close the scoring.

Randle dunked with 29.2 seconds left in regulation to tie it at 73 and force overtime.

NO. 14 ILLINOIS 84, MINNESOTA 60: Brian Cook, who needed 19 points to stay ahead of Purdue's Willie Deane for the Big Ten scoring title, scored 22 for the Illini (21-6, 11-5).

"I just wanted to go out there and share some moments, being my last home game, with the fellas," said Cook, who won the scoring title with a 20.1 average. "I just wanted to play."

Cook, one of six Illini seniors playing their last home game, also had eight rebounds and two of his team's 26 assists.

The Golden Gophers (16-11, 8-8) finished the regular season with four consecutive losses.

NO. 25 GA. 60, S. CAROLINA 55 (OT): Jarvis Hayes and Steve Thomas combined for all 10 Bulldog points in overtime as Georgia won in Columbia for the second time in 12 games since the Gamecocks joined the SEC in 1991.

The Bulldogs (19-8, 11-5) trailed 48-37 with 9:49 to go in regulation but held the Gamecocks (12-15, 5-11) to three field goals the rest of the way.

Georgia tied it at 50 on Chris Daniels' free throws with 2:34 left.

With the score still tied at 50, South Carolina lost its chance for a winning shot in regulation when Chris Warren committed an offensive foul with less than six seconds to go and Richard Wehunt missed a 3-pointer from the corner at the buzzer.

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