UNC Avenges Loss to EA All-Stars

As the crowd noise grew, the sophomore guard's grin broadened and his head began to bob up and down. And right there, with 12 minutes to go in the North Carolina men's basketball team's game against the EA Sports All-Stars, Scott began his own little victory dance, shimmying his shoulders and hips to a beat only he could hear.

"When I was doing that, I was just thinking, 'Man, this is what I dreamed Carolina being like,'" Scott said. "I mean, it's only an exhibition, but it felt good -- the team chemistry, the crowd supporting us."

Saturday evening, that dream began to be realized. In front of an energized and eager Smith Center audience, the Tar Heels ran an offensive clinic in their first preseason game to top EA Sports 109-97.

UNC swingman Rashad McCants and forward Jawad Williams each dropped 23 points on the All-Stars, the troupe of former college players that shocked Chapel Hill when it walloped the Tar Heels 107-76 last year.

Sure, a different group of players filled EA Sports' roster this time around, but UNC's victory still came as a relief to a fan base yearning for a quick start.

"It's nice to win a basketball game," said UNC coach Matt Doherty. "Granted, it's an exhibition game, but I liked the way our kids played."

Although the game's outcome was essentially set by the time Scott started breaking it down, the All-Stars came out bombing from behind the 3-point line early and built a 27-18 first-half lead.

Mike Elliott led the charge, draining four treys en route to 18 first-half points.

But the Tar Heels took the hit and fought back. They went on a 23-6 run to take the lead for the rest of the way.

In doing so, North Carolina began to display its ability to share the ball in the half-court offense and on the fastbreak.

Freshman Raymond Felton (16 points, nine assists) controlled tempo throughout, pushing the ball whenever he could.

But sometimes, like when he threw an ill-advised second-half lob to McCants, Felton had the look of a rookie.

"He makes some phenomenal plays out there," said senior Jonathan Holmes. "There are some things that he can do with the basketball that are amazing."

UNC's defense settled down as the game moved on, and EA Sports shot only 38 percent in the second half. The All-Stars finished17 of 43 from 3-point land.

The Tar Heels' lead swelled to 22 late in the game as they leaned on McCants, Williams and freshman center Sean May, who scored 22 points in 23 minutes.

For the game, UNC shot 56 percent from the floor. Still, the Tar Heels' coach was guarded afterward.

Said Doherty, "It's a good start, but that's all it is -- just a start."

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