Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SATURDAY, March 13, 1993 TAG: 9303130115
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C2 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: LARRY KEECH LANDMARK NEWS SERVICE
DATELINE: CHARLOTTE, N.C. LENGTH: Medium
LYNCH POWERS HEELS 102-66
Part of the appeal of tournament basketball is its "last-shall-be-first" concept, the possibility of a monumental upset.But almost invariably, the annual matchup between the Atlantic Coast Conference first- and last-place teams turns out like North Carolina's 102-66 blowout of Maryland in Friday's quarterfinals.
Only once in the 40-year history of the ACC Tournament has the regular-season cellar-dweller beaten the leader. That was in 1989, when Maryland stunned N.C. State 71-49.
Any doubt that the '93 Terrapins would similarly victimize the No. 1-ranked Tar Heels evaporated before halftime.
Carolina didn't even need to hit on all cylinders to roll into today's 1:30 p.m. semifinal match with fifth-seeded Virginia.
"We played great defense, but we didn't execute the way we want to on offense," said George Lynch, UNC's All-ACC senior forward from Roanoke.
Lynch could hardly have been talking about his own 22-point, 15-rebound performance that devastated the Terps' younger, smaller frontcourt.
"They were collapsing around Eric," Lynch said of the Terps' defensive concentration on 7-foot, 270-pound Tar Heel center Eric Montross. "And that left me plenty of room for short jump shots from the lane and the baseline."
Lynch said he has spent numerous extra hours in adding range to his jumper "and I've got it pretty accurate from 15 feet in, especially from certain spots."
But even beyond Lynch's contribution, Carolina again proved clearly superior to a team it already had beaten during the season by 28 points in Chapel Hill (101-73) and by 14 at College Park (77-63).
After a 7-0 Maryland surge forged a 16-16 tie eight minutes into Friday's game, Carolina gradually pulled away. The score was 51-34 at the half, and UNC coach Dean Smith made liberal use of his bench in the last 10 minutes.
Carolina's problems proved minor.
Smith held Montross and Reese out of the lineup for 90 seconds to start the game because they had been almost that late for a team meeting.
The only other source of concern was early foul trouble for point guard Derrick Phelps, who played only 15 minutes.
Smith replaced him with seldom-used senior Scott Cherry, who responded with an efficient performance that included five points, a blocked shot, an assist and no turnovers.
Cherry scored all his points in the final minute of the first half, breaking the game open with a 3-point field goal and a couple of free throws on Maryland center Chris Kerwin's third foul.
"That was the turning point," Smith said. "After Derrick went out, Scott Cherry went in and did an excellent job. We expected him to excel on defense, but his offensive contribution was a bonus."
A Carolina zone defense keyed by Phelps and Cherry held forward Evers Burns and point guard Kevin McLinton, Maryland's two senior mainstays, to an 8-for-27 shooting effort.
The Terps' field-goal percentage was only 35.6. They made less than half of their free throws and were outrebounded 57-33 as their season ended with a 12-16 record.
The Tar Heels will carry a 27-3 mark into today's game against Virginia.
\ see microfilm for box score