North Carolina kept a lead throughout the game but couldn't pull away from Alabama-Birmingham - until Coach Roy Williams yanked off his coat and threw it in anger that is. The seven-point margin midway through the second half turned into a 20-point lead and the Tar Heels ended up beating UAB 102-84. (12/1)

While Carolina focused better defensively after Williams chewed them out, it was hot outside shooting that won it for the Tar Heels, who hit 10 three pointers and shot 72 percent from the field in the second half. In fact, the Heels scored more points (67) in the half than any half this season. This coming after the third worst defeat for a Williams-coached UNC team.

“We have some guys who can shoot the ball," Williams said. "Everything looks pretty whenn the ball goes in the basket." In praising the offense, Williams was actually criticizing the defense for the game staying as close as it was throughout much of the game.

Leslie McDonald scored a career-high 24 points and hit five three-pointers to lead six Heels in double figures. Reggie Bullock added 17 points while P.J. Hairston scored all of his 16 points during the second half shooting barrage.

James Michael McAdoo accomplished another double-double with 15 points and 12 rebounds. Brice Johnson and Dexter Strickland rounded out the double-figure scoring with 11 points each.

Marcus Paige, the freshman point guard, sat out the game with a shoulder injury suffered at practice on Friday.

Trailing 15-14 in the first half, the Tar Heels went on a 13-0 run to go up 27-15. McAdoo drove by defenders on the baseline for a two-handed dunk to highlight the run.

But UAB, coached by former UNC assist Jerod Haase, cut the lead to six at the half, 35-29.

The lead was only five after the first TV timeout of the second half and only nine with less than 10 minutes left. But McDonald, Bullock and Hairston all hit three-pointers to put UAB away.

The Tar Heels, now 6-2, plays next Saturday night at home against East Tennessee State.

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