COLLEGE BASKETBALL ROUNDUP : North Carolina (5-0) Stays on Right Track

Don’t forget about Donald Williams just yet.

Williams, the most valuable player of the 1993 Final Four who has been overshadowed recently by North Carolina’s three sophomore stars, scored 14 of his 18 points in the second half Thursday night to help the top-ranked Tar Heels hold off No. 24 Villanova, 75-66, at Chapel Hill, N.C.

“We have a lot of talented offensive players,” said Williams, who has struggled with his shooting since an injury-plagued 1993-94 season. “In my sophomore and junior years I was one of the top guys the team looked for, one of the two options, but this year we have so many people who can score it just has to balance out. I just have to be more relaxed. You just have to let it come to you.”

Williams made two of eight shots before halftime, but broke the Wildcat zone with four key baskets over a four-minute span in the second half to keep the Tar Heels (5-0) from becoming the third top-ranked team to fall in as many weeks.

After trailing by as many as 13 points in the first half, Villanova (4-2) made seven consecutive shots in an 18-4 run to take its first lead, 49-48, with 12:15 to play.

“We aren’t the No. 1 team in the country,” North Carolina Coach Dean Smith said. “But the way we won is crucial. We executed down the stretch. I’d much rather win a game like this.”

No. 3 Arkansas 78, Southern Methodist 66--Corliss Williamson scored 21 points and Clint McDaniel and Darnell Robinson each scored 15 to help the Razorbacks (5-1) hold off the Mustangs (1-4) at Dallas.

The defending national champions came in averaging 99 points per game and built a big first-half lead but couldn’t shake the Mustangs, who made 11 three-pointers.

SMU was led by Troy Matthews, who scored 16 points.

No. 8 Arizona 81, Houston 67--Damon Stoudamire and Ray Owes scored 16 points each to lead the Wildcats at Tucson.

Arizona (5-1) opened a 24-8 lead in the first 6 1/2 minutes but was as sloppy in the second half as it had been crisp in the first.

Houston (1-3) shot poorly most of the game, but Damon Jones made six three-point shots in scoring 20 points.

No. 11 Maryland 113, Colgate 53--Johnny Rhodes scored 11 of his 17 points in a 28-4 first-half run, and Joe Smith had 12 points and 15 rebounds to lead the rout at College Park, Md.

Maryland (6-1) topped the 100-point mark in a third consecutive regular-season game for the first time in school history. Exree Hipp had 17 points for the Terrapins, who will bring a four-game winning streak into Saturday’s game against No. 5 Massachusetts.

Freshman Adonal Foyle of Colgate (0-6), coming off a 32-point, 25-rebound effort against Texas Southern, was held to nine points.

No. 20 Virginia 104, Bethune-Cookman 49--Cory Alexander scored 28 points to lead the rout at Charlottesville, Va.

Alexander, who scored only four points and had seven turnovers during a 70-65 loss to Vanderbilt on Tuesday night, scored 15 points as the Cavaliers (4-2) took a 61-27 halftime lead over the Wildcats (2-2), who were playing their first NCAA opponent this season.

No. 25 Wake Forest 53, Richmond 49--Rusty LaRue made a three-point shot and a steal in the last 20 seconds to help the Demon Deacons (5-1) hold off the Spiders (2-3) at Richmond, Va.

OTHER GAME

David Fizdale scored 20 points for San Diego (3-1) in a 75-64 victory over Cal State Dominguez Hills (2-3) at San Diego.