COLLEGE BASKETBALL REGIONAL HIGHLIGHTS : North Carolina Tested by Towson State, 98-88

Playing good basketball for 36 minutes was good enough for Dean Smith and sixth-ranked North Carolina Saturday.

Hubert Davis scored 21 points and backcourt mate Derrick Phelps had 20 as the Tar Heels held off Towson State, 98-88, at Chapel Hill, N.C.

“I thought we played very well,” Smith said. “We could have handled the ball better, but other than that, I thought we played our best game this year.”

All five Tar Heels starters scored in double figures as North Carolina (3-0) withstood a 28-point performance by Towson State’s Terrance Jacobs and 26 points from Chuck Lightening.

“They came in poised and played very well, and we played very well except for the last four minutes,” Smith said. “I’d like to take a little better care of the basketball.”

Towson State cut a seven-point deficit to two with 10 minutes to play and was within five points in the final minute. The Tar Heels committed 25 turnovers, three more than Towson State, and were outrebounded, 41-38.

Part of the difference was at the free throw line, where Towson State struggled. The Tigers made 19 of 31 attempts.

They shot 44% from the field.

North Carolina had a 93-88 lead with 49 seconds left after a three-point basket by Towson State’s Myron Ray.

But after the Tar Heels’ Brian Reese missed the second of two free throws with 45 seconds left, Kevin Salvadori tipped in the rebound and gave them a 96-88 lead.

Elsewhere:

EAST

Matt Eastwick scored six of his 12 points in an early 15-4 spurt that carried Princeton (2-1) to a 72-49 victory over Lafayette (0-2) at Princeton, N.J. . . . Reserve forward Troy McKoy came off the bench and scored 23 points to lead South Carolina (2-1) to an 81-67 victory over St. Joseph’s (1-1) at Philadelphia. McKoy, a 6-7 junior, made eight of 10 shots for South Carolina. Jo Jo English added 22 points and Joe Rhett 18 for the Gamecocks.

Dave Johnson had 26 points as Syracuse (2-0) outscored North Carolina-Asheville, 17-7, in the first seven minutes of the second half en route to a 83-68 victory at Syracuse. Johnson became the 33rd Orangeman to score more than 1,000 points in a career when he scored in double figures for the 34th consecutive game. North Carolina-Asheville (0-3) fell behind, 61-41, midway through the second half, but rallied to reduce Syracuse’s lead to 68-58 with 3:52 left on a three-point basket by Willie Black.

SOUTH

Walt Williams scored 10 of his 24 points in a 12-1 second-half run that lifted unbeaten Maryland to a 93-68 victory over American University at College Park, Md. Maryland (3-0) held the Eagles to eight baskets in the first half and forced 17 turnovers in taking a 39-22 lead. . . . Mark Davis scored 13 of his 19 points in the first five minutes of the second half as North Carolina State broke out of a tie and routed Western Carolina, 101-79, at Raleigh, N.C.

MIDWEST

Melvin Booker scored 18 of his 22 points in the first half to lead Missouri to a 77-47 victory over Texas A&M; at Columbia, Mo. Missouri (2-0) began a 17-0 run over Texas A&M; (1-1) at 15:24 of the first half when senior Anthony Peeler made a three-point shot. Peeler, who had 13 points, needs six points to tie Curtis Berry for 11th place on Missouri’s all-time scoring list at 1,328 points. . . . Randy Carter scored 17 points to lead Minnesota to a 95-54 victory over Howard at Minneapolis. Voshon Lenard had 15 points, Ernest Nzigamasabo 13, Bob Martin 11 and Chad Kolander 10 for Minnesota.

Sophomore guard Rennie Clemons scored 25 points to lead Illinois to a 95-70 victory over Northeast Louisiana at Champaign, Ill. Deon Thomas added 20 points and Scott Pierce 18 for the Illini (2-1). Northeast Louisiana (1-2) was led by Louis Davis, who scored 14 points. . . . Charles White scored 23 points as Bradley remained undefeated with a 66-65 overtime victory against Tennessee-Chattanooga at Peoria, Ill. The score was tied at 58-58 at the end of regulation, but Maurice Stovall, who had 10 points, made two shots early in overtime to put Bradley (3-0) ahead, 62-58.

WEST

Sam Crawford, a former standout at Westchester High and Moorpark College, made four second half three-point shots and handed out 13 assists as New Mexico State (3-0) beat New Mexico, 80-73, at Albuquerque, N.M. Crawford, a point guard, scored 12 of his 15 points in the second half as New Mexico State intimidated New Mexico (2-2).