Dec. 7, 2003

Box Score

CHAPEL HILL, N.C. - North Carolina, which shot 64.9 percent from the floor in the second half, outscored George Mason 68-32 in the frame and rallied for a 115-81 men's basketball victory Sunday afternoon in the Smith Center. The Tar Heels, ranked 10th nationally in both the AP and ESPN/USA Today Coaches polls, remain undefeated at 5-0, while the Patriots fall to 4-2 on the season.

Senior guard Mark Davis (Springfield, VA/R.E. Lee/Palm Beach CC) led Mason in scoring with 21 points. Patriot sophomore forwards Jai Lewis (Aberdeen, MD/Maine Central Inst.) and Trent Wurtz (Sheboygan, WI/Sheboygan North) each tied career highs of 17 and 13 points, respectively.

Sean May scored 11 of his career-high 26 points in the first 5? minutes of the second half to lead UNC. Jawad Williams and Rashad McCants each tallied 21. Raymond Felton dealt a school-record 18 assists.

The first half saw five ties and 14 lead changes as George Mason remained competitive with North Carolina, despite losing sophomore guard Lamar Butler (Oxon Hill, MD/Oxon Hill) to a left foot injury four minutes into the frame. The Patriots held a nine-point advantage, 18-9 with 16:53 left in the half, after a back-door layup from senior guard Raoul Heinen (Bunschoten, Holland). UNC regrouped with a 14-0 run before Wurtz sank a 3-pointer at 13:26 to cut the margin to within two, 23-21.

Mason trailed for no more than four points the remainder of frame, but made 8-of-15 three-pointers and shot 48.4 percent in the first stanza in staking a two-point halftime lead, 49-47.

The Tar Heels opened on a 15-2 run to start the second half against George Mason. May had three field goals during the spurt, forcing George Mason coach Jim Larranaga to call two timeouts to regroup his squad. The stoppages didn't work as May added five more points, increasing the Tar Heels' advantage to 67-54. The Patriots never got closer than 11 the rest of the way.

Mason shot 45.0 percent from the floor compared to 60.9 percent for UNC. North Carolina sank 8-of-15 three-pointers (.533) and outrebounded the Patriots, 40-27.

George Mason will take a week-and-a-half off for exams before returning to the courts, Thursday, Dec. 18, at the Patriot Center against McNeese State at 7 p.m.

Box Score
George Mason (4-2) - 49-32=81
No. 10 North Carolina (5-0) - 47-68=115