Tim Candon

Sports

Solid Backcourt Play Paces Tar Heels in Loss

By Tim Candon | January 21

With just less than six minutes to go in Monday's game against Duke, North Carolina shooting guard Coretta Brown dished to teammate Kenya McBee, who made a short jumper to give the Tar Heels a 54-49 lead. On the ensuing possession for Duke, UNC point guard Leah Metcalf stole the ball and outleted to Nikita Bell, who converted the layup. Such high-energy defense and offensive awareness by Brown and Metcalf paced UNC's bid to upset the top-ranked Blue Devils.

Sports

Tar Heels Throttle Hapless Deacons

By Tim Candon | January 10

Two minutes into Thursday's women's basketball game between Wake Forest and No. 10 North Carolina, Wake's Tonia Brown drained a 3-pointer to give the Deacs a 5-2 lead. But UNC forward Jennifer Thomas hit layups on successive trips down the floor that kickstarted a 10-minute stretch during which the Tar Heels outscored Wake 28-6. "We didn't really notice," said UNC point guard Leah Metcalf of Wake's offensive futility. "We were just out there trying to play defense, trying to score."

Sports

2 Sought In Slaying Of Smalls

By Tim Candon | January 7

The Richland County Sheriff's Department has two suspects in the fatal Dec. 7 shooting of a North Carolina football player in Columbia, S.C., but the individuals are not yet in custody. Lt. Joseph Pellici said investigators believe the two suspects were residents of Columbia but also think they have since fled the state. Pellici was unable to provide the names and descriptions of the suspects. Carl Smalls, a defensive tackle for North Carolina, was shot three times at Club Voodoo, where a private party was being held.

Sports

Kneipper's Scoring Spree Wallops Winthrop

By Tim Candon | November 25

In the 70th minute of Friday's first round NCAA men's soccer tournament game between North Carolina and Winthrop, UNC forward Ryan Kneipper placed the ball at the edge of Winthrop's penalty area, stepped back and waited for the whistle to allow him to take the free kick. The whistle blew, and Kneipper's left-footed strike curled around the five-man wall and dipped under a diving Steve Winton to give the Tar Heels a 5-0 lead.

Sports

Testo Battles Injuries, Arrest to Lead Tar Heels

By Tim Candon | November 22

Last week's ACC Men's Soccer Championship was to be North Carolina senior David Testo's last. The UNC forward had overcome a slew of injuries and moved beyond the black cloud that was his arrest on an assault charge in September. But he was sick. He had barely slept a wink, and at 5 a.m. on Nov. 14, he rolled out of bed, unable to swallow and having trouble breathing. He went and saw the team trainers, and they decided he needed to see a doctor. So, they went back to Chapel Hill. He took some medicine, but as Testo said, "no medicine is going to kick in that fast."

Sports

Tigers Claw Past UNC in Tourney

By Tim Candon | November 15

CARY -- North Carolina defender David Stokes jumped to get a head on a Mike Gell serve that went zooming into the Clemson penalty area during the waning moments of Thursday night's first round ACC tournament match against Clemson at SAS Stadium. Stokes got his head on the ball, but it went six feet over the goal, capping a second half filled with frustration as the third-seed North Carolina men's soccer team fell to sixth-seeded Clemson 3-2. Although the scoring was confined to the first half, UNC's inability to finish in the second half was the demonstrative factor in its demise.

Sports

Rejuvenated Men's Soccer Team Ready for 1st Round of ACCs

By Tim Candon | November 14

First defined by Aristotle, a catharsis is the release of emotional tension, as after an overwhelming experience, that restores or refreshes the spirit. After a 14-day stretch, from Sept. 28 through Oct. 12, the North Carolina men's soccer team was in dire need of refreshment. It had lost three out of five matches (to Duke, Maryland and Virginia Commonwealth), and to some, the outlook for the remainder of the year looked bleak.

Sports

Tar Heels Shut Out USC in Season Finale

By Tim Candon | November 11

Heading into the 14th-ranked North Carolina men's soccer team's match against No. 23 South Carolina on Friday, UNC midfielder Marcus Storey had one goal in mind -- score. "My coaches asked me before the game, 'What are you going to do for the game?' I was like, 'Try to score some goals,'" Storey said with a chuckle. Although he didn't score some goals, he did score one, which proved to be the game winner in Friday's 2-0 win against South Carolina (10-7-1).

Sports

UNC Ekes Past Athletes in Action

By Tim Candon | November 7

As Athletes in Action guard Katie Voight's 3-pointer sailed toward the basket with 9 seconds to play in Wednesday night's exhibition, there was only one thing going through North Carolina guard Correta Brown's mind. "Box out," Brown said with a laugh.

Sports

Aiken's Receptions Soothe UNC Debacle

By Tim Candon | November 5

If all you saw of Saturday's Maryland-North Carolina football game was the final score, you might think the best thing that happened to the Tar Heels was that the game ended. But something positive did actually happen. UNC wide receiver Sam Aiken became the fifth wideout in school history to eclipse the 2,000 career receiving yards mark. He reached the milestone during the first half, which he finished with nine catches for 87 yards. "I kept hearing (Maryland Assistant) Coach (Gary) Blackney say, 'Find 88 and stick with him,'" said Maryland coach Ralph Friedgen.