UNC 89, Michigan State 82

CHAPEL HILL -- Who said North Carolina couldn't shoot? That the freshmen weren't living up to their ranking? That it would take a while longer to put it all together?

In beating No. 9 Michigan State 89-82 at the Smith Center on Tuesday,10th-ranked Carolina finally started living up to all those pre-season expectations - just in time to face two more top 25 teams this month.

It was supposed to be a revenge game for the Spartans (5-2), who returned three starters from a team that lost by an average of 26 points to UNC in last year's ACC/Big Ten Challenge, and national championship game. Instead, it was the Tar Heels, who returned only one starter from last year's title team but led by as many as 19 points in the second half, who took control early.

Iffy on their outside shooting through their first seven games, the Tar Heels (7-1) swished a whopping 63.3 percent in the first half, while holding the Spartans to only one field goal for a seven-minutes stretch. And the freshman class, dubbed one of the best in the country, finally showed why..

The game was tied 19-19 with about 12 minutes in the first half left when UNC's rookies scored all 11 points during an 11-2 run that gave it at 30-21 advantage. Small forward John Henson led the charge, first taking an offensive charge, then throwing down a dunk. After blocking a shot, trying to save it from going out of bounds with his soon-to-be-patented pass-it-between-the-legs move, only to to see MSU's Durrell Summers grab it an score - Henson was then fouled on a steal attempt after freshman teammate Dexter Strickland made a 3-pointer.

Freshman forward Travis Wear followed that with a 3-pointer, his brother David added a bucket, and Strickland scored again before a more veteran lineup took their place.

But that wasn't the end. Strickland, back in the game with about two minutes left, made a steal and passed it off to Ed Davis, who completed a 3-point play to give UNC a 43-32 lead. Then Strickland buried a 3-pointer at the buzzer to give the Tar Heels a 50-34 lead at the break.

Carolina's rapid-fire scoring pace slowed in the second half. And MSU tried to make a push, but they had trouble slowing big men Davis and Deon Thompson, especially when forward Delvon Roe, one of the biggest Spartans, fouled out with 7:21 left after picking up his 4th and 5th fouls within a 30-second period.

Still, MSU cut it to 80-72 with about two minutes left when Summers buried a 3-pointer, then 80-74 when Kalin Lucas followed with a shot of his own.

But a Davis dunk, and five key free throws but Larry Drew II gave the Tar Heels enough of a cushion to post their best win of the season.

Davis finished with a season-high 22 points, and  Drew II added a career-high 18. Morgan had 18 for MSU.