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Jan. 24, 2001
By JOHN MARSHALL
Associated Press Writer
CHAPEL HILL, N.C. (AP) – After almost losing a big halftime lead for thesecond consecutive game, North Carolina turned to Joseph Forte. He responded -again.
Forte scored 33 points – nine during a key stretch in the second half – andthe fifth-ranked Tar Heels extended their winning streak to 13 games with an88-81 victory over No. 13 Virginia on Wednesday night.
North Carolina (16-2, 6-0 Atlantic Coast Conference) led 50-35 at halftime,but Virginia (13-4, 2-4) went on a 16-4 run to start the second half. DonaldHand and Chris Williams keyed the run with consecutive 3-pointers as theCavaliers pulled within 54-51 just five minutes in.
Forte answered with a layup, a three-point play and two pull-up jumpers asNorth Carolina built the lead back to 65-57 with 11 minutes left. He also hit a3-pointer with 5:15 left after Virginia pulled within 75-71.
“He’s an All-American and you put the ball in his hands,” North Carolinacoach Matt Doherty said. “He made some big, big plays. He seems to focusbetter when the game’s on the line.”
Forte was also the difference in Saturday’s 80-70 victory over FloridaState, scoring 12 straight points after the Tar Heels blew most of a 19-pointhalftime lead.
Forte was 13-for-23 from the field against the Cavaliers and had fiverebounds and four assists.
“Forte is an unbelievable player,” said Virginia coach Pete Gillen, whoseteam has lost three of four in the ACC after opening the season 10-0. “He’sone of the best 2-guards I’ve seen in a long time. He certainly was marveloustonight.”
The Tar Heels led by two with 13 minutes left in the first half, but went onan 18-7 run to build a 39-23 lead. Forte ended the run with a pull-up jumperand fed Kris Lang for a dunk with 5:39 left.
Virginia pulled within 39-32 on three straight 3-pointers, but NorthCarolina finished the half on an 11-3 run. Max Owens capped it with threestraight free throws with nine seconds left.
Virginia made just 12 of 37 shots in the first half.
“You have to play well for 40 minutes and we got beat because we didn’tplay well in the first 20 minutes,” Gillen said. “You can’t get down 15points to a tremendous team and expect to come back.”
Roger Mason led Virginia with 17 points, while Travis Watson had 16 pointsand 10 rebounds, and Williams added 14 points and 11 rebounds.
Jason Capel had 14 points and seven rebounds for North Carolina. BrendanHaywood had four blocks – three in the first half – giving him 27 in the lastfive games.
Virginia shot 42 percent overall, marking the 13th consecutive game NorthCarolina held an opponent under 50 percent.
North Carolina made 20 of 34 shots in the first half in building a 15-pointlead. The Tar Heels shot 56 percent overall.
North Carolina has not lost since consecutive defeats to Michigan State andKentucky on Nov. 29 and Dec. 2.
“I’d like to think we are this good and I’d like to think we can bebetter,” Doherty said. “I don’t feel necessarily that we’re overachieving. Ithink we’re about where we should be and hopefully we can get better.”