Williams Effective in Limited Playing Time

"Jawad Williams is killing us out there," he said to his assistants.

The halftime line on Williams: 11 points on 4-of-6 shooting, including 3-of-4 from behind the 3-point arc, in 10 minutes of play.

No wonder Gillen was frustrated.

The UNC forward made his first appearance with 12:17 remaining in the first half and the score tied at 11. After a Virginia basket, Williams scored eight points in 1:18, and North Carolina went on an 8-0 run.

Twice during the run, point guard Melvin Scott penetrated along the baseline, forcing Virginia's defense to collapse and leaving Williams wide open at the top of the key. Both times, Scott kicked the ball out and Williams calmly knocked down the 3-pointer.

"Jawad was very big for us," said UNC point guard Adam Boone. "He hit a lot of 3s from the trailer position."

Williams also made a layup that was set up by rapid perimeter ball movement and a crisp entry pass from Will Johnson.

Despite his performance, Williams was quick to deflect the credit to his teammates.

"By the point guards pushing it, it put a lot of pressure on the man who was guarding me to help," Williams said. "When he helped, I was wide open."

The Tar Heels have not consistently hit those wide-open jump shots this season, so Williams' ability to do so in the first half gave UNC a much-needed spark.

But despite Williams' first-half scoring binge, North Carolina coach Matt Doherty reduced his minutes in the second half.

Although Doherty acknowledged that Williams "made some huge baskets" in the first half, he played the 6-foot-9 freshman for just two spurts in the second half, the first one for two minutes and the second for less than six minutes.

"I was surprised, but it was a coach's decision, and there's nothing I can do about that," Williams said. "I just have to go out there and play, and when I do play, make the best of it."

Williams continued to make the most of his opportunities despite less playing time.

With 3:50 left in the game, he stole the ball and took it the length of the court for a layup, tying the score at 63.

"I think (my play) gave us a lift," Williams said. "They made runs, we made runs, so I think it helped us a lot."

Williams insists he hasn't altered his approach since the beginning of the season, when he shot just 4-of-16 from the floor in his first three games.

Williams played only nine minutes against Davidson and Indiana, and was held scoreless in both games. Since then, he has been averaging more than 20 minutes per game, and has shot better and scored more points.

"I haven't changed anything." he said. "I just go out there and play. My confidence is still the same, still high."

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