Frustration Compounds At Cameron

The sequence captured the essence of flustered North Carolina's afternoon in Cameron Indoor Stadium, as tempers flared higher than the temperature, jaws flapped more than in a tank of hungry piranhas, and the officials kept having to signal their dinner orders to the scorer's table: T-bones for all.

Duke's Jason Williams, who officially signed the Tar Heels' ownership deed Sunday with 9,314 notary publics witnessing the 93-68 win, called for an isolation against Brian Morrison. J-Will drove past B-Mo and dished to Christensen for the senior stuff.

The Blue Devil lead extended to 86-61 with 6:16 still to endure as the ball slammed through to dot the exclamation mark. Then things got worse.

"Matt Christensen got his dunk, he turned around and pushed me, and basically I wasn't going to be punked so I pushed him back," Jawad Williams said. Official Teddy "Bigger than the Ballgame" Valentine quickly whistled Jawad for a technical foul -- UNC's third and the game's fifth -- and Jawad ignored the call.

"I tried to act like I didn't hear him, and I just walked away from him."

Valentine tracked him down and boastfully shoved his T-ing hands in Jawad's face. In a timeout eight seconds later, UNC coach Matt Doherty slammed his clipboard on the court. Doherty was served with a technical of his own during a first half in which he at one point pleaded to an official, "They don't need any help."

His squad had lost its composure and let the game get out of hand long before Doherty's clipboard flew out of his. The Blue Devils got into the Tar Heels' heads. Duke already had the advantage over their bodies.

Checkmate.

An hour before tipoff, the atmosphere was getting to the Tar Heels during the shoot-around. Melvin Scott played a one-man game of H-O-R-S-E at an antagonizing fan's urging. Jason Capel, tongue hanging out of mouth, called for more "Jeff was better" chants. Others, accustomed to taunts by this point in the season, payed little attention. Capel, who responded with 28 points, eats up such environments.

"I do. I feed off the crowd, and a lot of their players were talking trash," said Capel, who exchanged words and pointings with fans and Blue Devils. "They have that record that shows they're one of the top teams in the country, but nobody's going to push us around. Nobody's going to disrespect and talk to us in any kind of way. They do that, then hey, we're going to do it right back. It's that simple."

More difficult for others, though. While Capel was busy playing "me against the world," some younger players' knees wobbled under the weight.

Point guard Adam Boone soaked up the energy and became more aggressive. But eventually emotions got the better of him, as well. When called for a charge, he and J-Will exchanged words and Boone chased him down the court. Boone bumped him, got shoved off and both were treated to steaks by the officials. Neither player would discuss the specifics in the locker room.

"Stuff happens on the court where players get in altercations in the heat of the moment," J-Will said. "But when it comes off the court there's nothing that's going to happen that's going to be bad. You shake his hand."

Jawad couldn't leave it on the floor as easily.

"They were trying to punk us, and we're not going to get punked by any team," he said.

T-ed off Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski also got whistled for arguing a call in the first half.

"It's just a very intense, competitive rivalry, and there's going to be some exchanges like that in a physical game," Boone said. "As a competitor -- I like to think of myself as one -- that's the kind of environment you live for."

And die before.

Mike Ogle can be reached at mogle@email.unc.edu.