GAME REPORT

Utah 65

N. Carolina 59

FIRST HALF IN REVIEW

UTAH 35

N. C. 22

Forward Hanno Mottola made a three-point shot to open the scoring. Andre Miller controled the pace, finishing with eight points, nine rebounds and four assists. Many thought Utah was not athletic enough to play man-to-man against North Carolina but the Utes stymied the nation’s best shooting team, forcing Tar Heels to miss seven of their first eight shots. North Carolina made only 11 out of 36 shots in the half. After Vince Carter scored on a reverse layup at 19:01 for the Tar Heels’ first basket, they didn’t score until Antawn Jamison’s dunk five minutes later. By that time, the Utes were up, 16-4, and keeping the Tar Heels off the offensive boards in particular. . The Utes had 17 defensive rebounds to the Tar Heels’ 12.

* UTAH’S LEADING SCORERS: Miller and Michael Doleac, 8.

* UTAH’S LEADING REBOUNDER: Miller 9. .

* OTHER STUFF: Utah’s first three baskets came on three-point shots. .

* NORTH CAROLINA’S LEADING SCORERS: Carter 10, Jamison 8.

* NORTH CAROLINA’S LEADING REBOUNDER: Jamison 8.

* OTHER STUFF: North Carolina missed all eight of its three-point shots. . . . Starters Ed Cota and Makhtar Ndiaye were scoreless. . . . The 22 first-half points were the Tar Heels’second-lowest total of the season. They scored 21 against Princeton.

SECOND HALF IN REVIEW

UTAH 65

N. C. 59

Doleac made a turnaround jumper to open the second half and give Utah a 37-22 lead. The Utes’ lead hovered around 15 points for the first six minutes due mainly to Doleac and Mottola, who combined to score their team’s first nine points. North Carolina’s Ndiaye fouled out with 15:45 remaining and the Tar Heels appeared even more vulnerable. The Tar Heels began inching back, though, and after Carter scored on a tip-in to cut Utah’s lead to nine with 11:14 left, the Tar Heels appeared ready to make a significant run. North Carolina got a break when referees reversed a call which had given Utah possession of a ball that was knocked out of bounds. Carter took the inbounds pass and knocked down a three-point shot to get the Tar Heels within six at 56-50. Cota cut the lead to two when he made a 14-foot jumper with 2:01 to play. But like he has done throughout the tournament, Miller took the ball on the ensuing inbounds pass, raced down court and made a layup to put the Utes up 59-54. North Carolina never got closer.

* UTAH’S LEADING SCORERS: Miller and Doleac, 16.

* UTAH’S LEADING REBOUNDER: Miller 14.

* OTHER STUFF: Utah will play Kentucky Monday for a third consecutive year in the tournament. . . . The Utes’ 29.4% three-point shooting was their worst of the tournament. . . . Seven players played 10 minutes or more.

* NORTH CAROLINA’S LEADING SCORERS: Carter 21 Jamison 14.

* NORTH CAROLINA’S LEADING REBOUNDERS: Jamison 12, Okulaja 9.

* OTHER STUFF: North Carolina shot a season-low 39.1% (27 for 69). . . . Shammond Williams, who was averaging 21.7 points during the tournament, had seven points on two-for-12 shooting. He was one for 13 in last year’s 66-58 Final Four loss to Arizona.