COLLEGE BASKETBALL ROUNDUP : No. 3 Hoyas Overpower No. 17 Tar Heels

Does this sound like a coach’s dream?

Dean Smith: “It’s a big joke . . . our schedule already was too tough.”

John Thompson: “I’m not for it and I’ve said it all along.”

What North Carolina Coach Smith and Georgetown Coach Thompson were talking about was their matchup Thursday night in the inaugural ACC-Big East Challenge, an eight-game matchup of two of the toughest conferences in the country, which wound up at four victories apiece.

Mark Tillmon scored 27 points to lead the No. 3 to victory over the No. 17 Tar Heels, 93-81, in the final game of the tournament at East Rutherford, N.J.

It was the first meeting between the team’s since the Tar Heels beat Georgetown, 63-62, on Michael Jordan’s jumper in the 1982 NCAA championship game at New Orleans.

Georgetown (4-0) held a comfortable lead throughout the second half, and North Carolina (4-3) never got closer than five points in the final five minutes. Alonzo Mourning scored 18 points for Georgetown. Scott Williams had 19 for North Carolina.

Virginia 73, Villanova 65--John Crotty scored 25 points and Virginia (5-1) beat Villanova at East Rutherford.

Virginia grabbed the lead for good at 62-60 with 5:45 to play on a three-point shot by Crotty.

Virginia’s last field goal, a rebound follow by Bryant Stith, gave the Cavaliers a 64-60 lead with 4:34 left. Greg Woodard hit a long jump shot for Villanova (4-3) 22 seconds later, but Cavaliers made nine of 12 free throws to preserve the victory.

No. 19 North Carolina St. 126, Duquesne 77--Chris Corchiani and Brian Howard scored six points each in a 22-0 first-half run that powered North Carolina State to victory at Raleigh, N.C.

Rodney Monroe scored 22 points as North Carolina State placed six players in double figures.

Iowa 89, Iowa State 87--Ray Thompson, who lost his starting job after being arrested last week, scored 20 of his 32 points in the second half to rally unbeaten Iowa at Ames.

Thompson, arrested last Friday for public intoxication and two other charges, was suspended for one game and has been been a reserve since. He played 29 minutes against Iowa State and hit 14 of 21 shots.

Iowa, which trailed by 17 points early in the second half, withstood a 36-point effort by Iowa State’s Terry Woods.

Arizona State 70, USF 67 Matt Anderson’s fast-break layup with six seconds left in the second overtime lifted the Sun Devils (1-3) to victory at San Francisco.

Anderson’s layup followed a steal by Emilio Kovacic, a Yugoslav newcomer who had shot an air ball on a free throw attempt with 32 seconds left.