Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SATURDAY, March 14, 1992 TAG: 9203140360
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: BILL BRILL SPORTSWRITER
DATELINE: CHARLOTTE, N.C. LENGTH: Medium
The Tar Heels rallied in the last half to defeat Wake Forest 80-65 and advance to the ACC basketball tournament semifinals against Florida State.
For 20th-ranked UNC, it was win No. 20 (in 28 games), the 22nd straight year the Heels have won that many.
It also meant that, for the first time since 1985, the top four seeds reached the semifinals.
That was bad news for Wake Forest (17-11), in danger of not making the NCAA Tournament field after its 11th consecutive loss to North Carolina and 23rd in 24 games. The Demon Deacons also lost their final three games.
"Wake Forest is in the NCAAs," said North Carolina coach Dean Smith, doing some late campaigning.
In each of three games this season against the Tar Heels, Wake Forest led at halftime but was unable to sustain the advantage.
This time, the Deacons were up 39-36 because Rogers had scored 23 points, making 10 of 12 shots, including a dunk on a rebound that stunned the sellout crowd of 23,532 in the Charlotte Coliseum.
But in the second half, Rogers was held without a point until 4:16 remained, when he scored on a rebound. He finished with 29 points, but it wasn't nearly enough.
Lynch, a 6-foot-7 junior, not only did a lot of the defensive work on Rogers but also found time to score 20 points, 12 in the last half.
In one stretch, when North Carolina came from a 45-42 deficit to a 55-50 lead, Lynch scored nine of the points. He did it all inside, twice scoring on rebound baskets against the nation's best rebounding team.
"I thought Lynch was sensational in the second half," Smith said.
The Deacons never recovered from that run by UNC, and their offense eventually disintegrated.
What disappointed Wake Forest coach Dave Odom more was his team's defense.
"When we give up 50 points in the lane like we did tonight, we're in trouble," he said. "They penetrated at will with the dribble or the pass."
One of the beneficiaries was 7-foot Eric Montross, who had 15 points and 10 rebounds, well above his averages.
"We had to show our pride and desire," Montross said. "There was a lot of wanting out there in the second half."
Smith called it "the best half we've played this year against a quality opponent."
"I don't think we can play any better," he said.
The Tar Heels shot 64 percent while holding the Deacons to 9-of-29 field-goal shooting (31 percent).
Lynch, who helped box Rogers off the boards in the spurt, said the Tar Heels had read a comment by the Wake Forest star that spurred them on.
"He said he was going to keep us from getting our 20th win even if he had to score 50 points," Lynch said. "After he got 23 in the first half, we didn't want him scoring 27.
"I think he ran out of gas. It was the Rodney Rogers show in the first half."
But it was Lynch and Co. after intermission.
"I thought our big guys, Lynch and Montross, were tremendous in the second half," said Hubert Davis, who paced UNC with 23 points. "When they take over like that, we're tough to beat." \
see microfilm for box score
by CNB