Jan. 18, 2005
After watching a spectacular free-throw shooting display end its winning streak, North Carolina will look to get back on track when it travels to Clemson on Wednesday.
The sixth-ranked Tar Heels (14-2, 3-1 ACC) had their 14-game winning streak snapped Saturday with a 95-82 loss to then-No. 4 Wake Forest. North Carolina trailed 44-33 at halftime and never threatened as Wake Forest went on a 10-0 run early in the second half.
Jackie Manuel, Marvin Williams and David Noel all fouled out and Wake Forest capitalized by going 32-for-32 at the line, two shy the NCAA single-game record for most free throws without a miss.
"We just have to put everything in perspective," Tar Heels center Sean May said. "It's one game in conference play. We can't hold on to this forever, but we do got to think about some things, things we did wrong and how we didn't have each other's backs out there."
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Rashad McCants led North Carolina with 19 points and Raymond Felton added 16, but was outplayed by Chris Paul in a matchup of two of the best point guards in the nation. Felton, who is shooting 50.5 percent, made just 5 of 18 shots Saturday. Paul finished with 26 points, eight assists and six rebounds.
Senior forward Jawad Williams is averaging a team-high 16.9 points for the Tar Heels.
Due to the addition of Miami and Virginia Tech in the ACC, North Carolina will not host Wake Forest this season. But the Tar Heels will play Clemson at home - where they have never lost in 50 all-time meetings - on Feb. 19.
However, Clemson (10-6, 1-3) has won four of the last six meetings with North Carolina at Littlejohn Coliseum.
Shawan Robinson shot 5-for-6 from 3-point range and scored a career-high 24 points to lead Clemson to an 81-72 win over then-No. 12 North Carolina on Jan. 31, 2004. The Tigers shot a school-record 84.6 percent (11-for-13) from 3-point range.
The Tigers have dropped four of their last six, including Saturday's 59-57 defeat at Virginia Tech. Clemson committed 23 turnovers, the most costly by Vernon Hamilton with 12 seconds left. Carlos Dixon intercepted Hamilton's pass, sprinted downcourt and dunked for the winning points with 6.9 seconds to play.
"You got to take care of the ball," Clemson coach Oliver Purnell said. "It's just a bad turnover and a mistake."
Senior Sharrod Ford had 16 points and nine rebounds and freshman guard Cliff Hammonds added 12 points for the Tigers, who have lost just once in eight games at home - Jan. 8 against Wake Forest.
Ford, a 6-foot-9 forward, is averaging team highs of 14.3 points and 8.1 rebounds.
Clemson has beaten a ranked North Carolina team three times since 1999, but the Tar Heels are 23-12 all-time at Littlejohn Coliseum.
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