Substitutes shine in garbage time

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. — Orange-clad students behind the baseline had long lost interest in the final score, had long lost interest in anything save the reserves streaming from both benches in the late stages of Saturday’s basketball game.

And as substitutes gave way to substitutes, the fans at University Hall selected one player in particular as the darling of their chants and cheers — a 6-foot point guard wearing a powder-blue road jersey.

“Mil… ler… Mil… ler…”

One of the loudest ovations in the entire second half, in fact, came when North Carolina’s Wes Miller drained a 3-pointer from the top of the arc to give the Tar Heels a 93-46 lead with less than seven minutes remaining in the game.

The object of the crowd’s affections, however, said the voices never reached his ears.

“I usually block that out when I play,” Miller said. “I don’t even hear it.”

No matter. The sophomore transfer, who has averaged 4.6 minutes per game this season, wasn’t on the court for the benefit of the crowd.

He was on the court to do exactly what he did — hustle at both ends of the floor and keep the Cavaliers out of striking distance.

His teammates weren’t surprised to see the long-distance call connect.

“I didn’t see anything new,” said Rashad McCants, who played with Miller at New Hampton (N.H.) Prep.

“Wes has been doing exactly what he’s been doing ever since I’ve known him — hitting big shots, going in there and giving good minutes.”

Starters gave way to reserves with more than nine minutes remaining in the game, and while they weren’t perfect, they fended off a late Virginia surge to keep the margin of victory above 30.

“We didn’t look like a oiled machine out there those last 10 minutes, but those kids work their tails off for us every day, and you’ve got to give them a chance to play,” said UNC coach Roy Williams. “I still get frustrated by some of the mistakes they make, but I don’t get as frustrated because they’re trying to have fun.”

Sophomore swingman Reyshawn Terry, who continues to show signs that he could become an important contributor in the near future, scored eight points in his nine minutes of action to lead the reserves.

And as the margin held steady at 48 points with four minutes remaining, Williams inserted two walk-ons and two football players to finish the game.

Charlie Everett and C.J. Hooker each scored on back-to-back possessions. Wide-receiver-turned-guard Brooks Foster, who still has no name on his No. 4 jersey, had a chance to score his first points of the season, but he missed the front end of a one-and-one.

Jesse Holley, playing in only his third game since football season ended, hit a free throw for his only point of the game.

“I just wish we could have put together a better performance, but we played a great game,” Holley said. “We’ve still got more work to do. That’s what we do every week.”

Even Miller, who didn’t find the basket again after his crowd-thrilling 3-pointer, wasn’t pleased with his overall effort for the Tar Heels.

“I didn’t think I played very well,” Miller said. “I hit that one shot, but other than that, it wasn’t very pretty. But we got a big win, and that’s what matters.”

Contact the Sports Editor at sports@unc.edu.