Scott 'Steps Up' for UNC, Leads Team in Scoring

Not because North Carolina dropped its home opener, but because the freshman's debut performance shook his confidence a bit.

His team sensed his frustration, disagreed with its roots and gave him a shove in the back -- into the starting lineup.

Scott started in Tuesday's 58-54 loss to Davidson at the Smith Center, played the second most minutes on the team and led the Tar Heels in scoring with 15 points.

"My teammates after the first loss were like 'C'mon Melvin, just step up,'" Scott said. "They made me feel comfortable, so I stepped in and hit big shots."

He did early, shedding the gun-shy mentality he adopted Friday after missing everything but the glass on his only shot.

Scott drained a 3-pointer on the left wing 28 seconds into Tuesday's contest for a UNC lead, something the Tar Heels didn't experience most of the rest of the night. He nailed three of his four first-half field goal attempts, all 3-pointers, for 11 points and quickly put the brick he threw up Friday behind him.

"That first shot, I was just so tense; that's why I missed it," Scott said. "Tonight, I was just relaxed. When you start a game, you feel at ease, you get going early as opposed to coming off the bench.

"Coach (Matt Doherty) told me not to go out and be Superman or do anything I wouldn't normally do. Just go out, relax and if I get a good look, take it."

Scott said Doherty told him he would start while the team watched film Sunday because he was impressed with Scott's defense.

He didn't disappoint, once again frustrating opponents and helping cause multiple turnovers.

"He looked very comfortable out there," Doherty said. "He handled the ball very well out there. He's our best on-the-ball defender, and he shot the ball very well for us tonight. So he certainly was one of a few bright spots."

Scott started in an altered lineup with guard Adam Boone, fellow freshman Jackie Manuel, Jason Capel and Kris Lang, but by the end of the night he had distinguished himself from Boone, who started at point guard in the first game.

Doherty had Scott on the floor in crunch time, directing his team and sparking its defense as UNC tried to claw its way to a win and avoid an 0-2 start against relative nobodies.

Scott wasn't enough, though, as Doherty struggled to come up with a guard combination he liked. Boone had two points and two assists. Brian Morrison, who lost his starting spot to Scott, turned the ball over five times in nine minutes. Jonathan Holmes, who did not play Friday, saw nine minutes and netted two points and three assists.

On a team searching for answers, Scott could figure prominently into the immediate future based on Tuesday.

"He showed a lot of poise," Capel said. "He was steady. He played well defensively. That was the main reason he was out there. He did a good job. We all have to go out there and do a good job."

The Sports Editor can be reached at sports@unc.edu.