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Tar Heels see warts in win

CHAPEL HILL, N.C. - Roy Williams could barely hide his frustration Sunday.

Rashad McCants had 14 points and Sean May had a Smith Center-record 21 rebounds to lift No. 7 North Carolina to a 64-53 victory over Akron. But Williams, in his first season as coach at his alma mater, couldn't look past the woeful shooting and what he called a "pathetic" defensive effort.

"We didn't play basketball the way we're capable of playing," Williams said. "We didn't have any intensity. We didn't have the concentration. A lot of things we didn't have today, but luckily we got a W out of it."

North Carolina went in averaging 93 points and shooting 52 percent but shot 38 percent Sunday. That included 8-of-34 in the second half, a 24 percent effort that was the Tar Heels' worst in a half since at least the 1979-80 season.

The Tar Heels made 4 of 21 3-pointers.

Still, they hit 18 of 28 free throws, blocked nine shots and had a 53-40 rebounding advantage to stay unbeaten heading into Saturday's Atlantic Coast Conference opener at home against No. 15 Wake Forest.

Jawad Williams scored 13 and Raymond Felton 12 for the Tar Heels (6-0), off to their best start since winning their first eight in 1998-99. May finished with 10 points on 3-for-18 shooting, and his rebounding total was the highest by a Tar Heel since Mitch Kupchak had 21 against Tulane in February 1976.

Romeo Travis scored 13 to lead Akron. Derrick Tarver, who went in averaging 24.8 points, had seven on 3-for-16 shooting.

NO. 4 DUKE 84, PORTLAND 43: Reserve Luol Deng scored 15 and the host Blue Devils held the Pilots to three first-half baskets. Deng got off the bench for the first time this season, but the freshman didn't miss a beat, scoring 11 as Duke built a 28-point halftime lead.

NO. 6 TEXAS 89, NEW ORLEANS 55: Brian Boddicker had 16 points and 12 rebounds as the Longhorns won their 20th straight home game. Texas went in averaging 98.2 points, but it was defense and Boddicker's all-around play that made this one look easy. The Longhorns held the Privateers to 29 percent shooting. New Orleans made 7 of 24 3-pointers and shot 18-of-62 overall.

NO. 12 SAINT JOSEPH'S 92, DREXEL 70: Jameer Nelson scored 24 and Delonte West 20 to lead the visiting Hawks. Chet Stachitas added a career-high 14 points, all but two on 3-pointers, for Saint Joseph's, which used a season-high 13 3-pointers and a 19-2 run in the first half to finish with a season high in points.

MARYLAND 96, PEPPERDINE 72: John Gilchrist scored a career-high 24 to lead five players in double figures for the host Terrapins. D.J. Strawberry added a career-high 17 points as Maryland followed Wednesday night's upset of top-ranked Florida with its most points this season.

NOTRE DAME 82, DePAUL 69: Jordan Cornette had a career-high 17 points and Chris Thomas added 13 as the visiting Irish snapped a three-game losing streak. DePaul honored coaching legend Ray Meyer and his late wife by naming the basketball court after the couple in a halftime ceremony. Backed by most of his six children and 17 grandchildren and several former players, a tearful Meyer, who turns 90 on Thursday, thanked the school where he spent 42 years as coach from 1942-84.

ALABAMA ST. 75, FAMU 69: Malcolm Campbell scored 32 and Derrick Russell added 15 for the host Hornets. Campbell made 12 of 16 shots from the field and 5 of 8 free throws.

BC 72, SACRED HEART 70: Craig Smith scored eight of his 16 in the closing 4:47, and the host Eagles escaped.

COLUMBUS, Ga. - Former All-Florida player Jed Bedford, a prolific 3-point shooter and senior captain at Columbus State University, collapsed in practice and died about an hour later.

Bedford, 21, of Leesburg had an apparent heart attack about 4 p.m. during practice at the Lumpkin Center on the Columbus State campus.

Bedford was taken to St. Francis Hospital in Columbus, where he was pronounced dead at 5:03 p.m.