Sports

College basketball

Late run helps UNC nip Duke

Associated Press
Published March 7, 2005

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CHAPEL HILL, N.C. - Marvin Williams converted a three-point play with 17 seconds left to cap an 11-0 game-closing run and give No.2 North Carolina a 75-73 win over No.6 Duke on Sunday.

North Carolina, playing without the ill Rashad McCants for a fourth consecutive game, won its first ACC regular-season title since 1993, the same year of its most recent national title.

"It's been a long journey," said senior Jackie Manuel, one of three players left from an 8-20 team three years ago. "I didn't really know if we could do it. You really appreciate the highs when you've been at the bottom and seen the worst."

Tied at 64, the Blue Devils went on a 9-0 run, capped with 3:07 left by Lee Melchionni's fifth 3-pointer of the second half. Jawad Williams ended the run with a tip-in, and Marvin Williams added two free throws to make it 73-68. On the other end, DeMarcus Nelson missed a one-and-one, and a three-point play by Sean May, who had 26 points and 24 rebounds, cut the margin to two.

After Raymond Felton missed a tying shot, Daniel Ewing lost the ball near midcourt. Felton grabbed it and called timeout with 27 seconds left.

The situation was similar to the one the Tar Heels faced Feb.9 in a 71-70 loss at Duke, when they didn't get off a shot in the final seconds. This time, Felton drove to the basket and was fouled. He swished the first free throw to make it 73-72.

His second bounced high off the rim, and after a brief scramble, Marvin Williams grabbed it and banked in a shot while fouled. J.J. Redick then missed a 3-pointer and Ewing a jumper at the buzzer for Duke.

NO. 4 WAKE 55, N.C. STATE 53: Chris Paul hit a shot at the buzzer for the visiting Demon Deacons. Wake's Justin Gray made a 3-pointer with 12.8 seconds left to tie it at 53. Engin Atsur's hurried 3-pointer fell well short and went out of bounds, giving Wake the ball with 4.2 seconds left.

Paul inbounded to Vytas Danelius, who passed it back to Paul. Paul weaved through retreating defenders, bounced off a bump from Atsur and put up a fadeaway from about 12 feet.

Missouri upsets Kansas

COLUMBIA, Mo. - Thomas Gardner matched his career high with 23 points, helping Missouri beat No.7 Kansas 72-68. The loss prevented the Jayhawks, who lost Keith Langford to a re-injured ankle, from earning the No.1 seed in the Big 12 tournament. Because of its 71-63 win over Kansas on Feb.21, Oklahoma earned it.

Down 15 in the second half, Kansas tied it at 64 on J.R. Giddens' 3-pointer with 3:25 left. Jimmy McKinney gave Missouri the lead on a jumper from the lane with 2:06 left. And after Linas Kleiza's two free throws with 33.1 seconds left made it 70-66, Aaron Miles lost the ball out of bounds.

Missouri played without point guard Jason Horton, suspended indefinitely for undisclosed reasons.

NO.12 GONZAGA 90, SAN DIEGO 74: Adam Morrison scored 25 for the Bulldogs in a West Coast semifinal in Santa Clara, Calif. Gonzaga faces the winner of Sunday's late game between St. Mary's and Santa Clara tonight. A 13-2 run to end the first gave the Bulldogs a 54-33 lead.

SEC

SOUTH CAROLINA 76, MISS. 70 (OT): Carlos Powell scored a career-high 30, six in overtime, for the host Gamecocks. The senior made an 8-foot bank shot while falling backward to tie it at 66 with 18.8 seconds left.

State

LYNN 63, ECKERD 50: The Knights ended the Sunshine State Conference final with a 10-2 run to earn a berth in the Division II tournament. EMBRY-RIDDLE 63, FLAGLER 59: Clearwater High graduate Nick Miller scored 15 in the Florida Sun Conference final and was named tournament MVP in St. Augustine. The Eagles earned a berth in the NAIA Division II tournament and face Bellevue (Neb.) at 5:45 Thursday in Point Lookout, Mo.

[Last modified March 7, 2005, 01:58:12]