Feb. 12, 2000

Box Score

By DAVID DROSCHAK
AP Sports Writer

CHAPEL HILL, N.C. (AP) - Joseph Forte scored 24 points, Brendan Haywood added 20 and North Carolina shot 65 percent in the second half to run away from Wake Forest 87-64 Saturday.

The Tar Heels (16-9, 7-4 Atlantic Coast Conference) have now won five of six since a four-game losing streak in mid-January. The win also moved North Carolina into sole possession of second place in the ACC, one-half game in front of No. 23 Maryland.

Wake Forest (13-11, 4-7) beat the Tar Heels by nine in Winston-Salem on Jan. 12, but are 2-7 since. Robert O'Kelley led the Demon Deacons with 15 points.

Forte, a freshman, sank a season-high six 3-pointers on eight attempts, while the 7-foot Haywood was 9-for-10 from the field with 10 rebounds. The 270-pound Haywood also kept Wake Forest's three big men in foul trouble all day.

Ed Cota had 13 of North Carolina's 25 assists.

The Demon Deacons used a 17-4 run at the end of the first half and beginning of the second to grab a 43-40 lead with 14:11 left, but Forte made three 3-pointers in a 3 1/2-minute span as the Tar Heels took the lead for good.

Wake Forest did pull within four with 7:11 left, but the Tar Heels closed the game with a 27-8 run, at one point in the second half scoring on 11 straight possessions.

The Tar Heels started the second half 13-for-17.

North Carolina, the nation's No. 1 shooting team, made 8 of its first 12 shots to bolt to a 10-point lead as Haywood scored nine in the opening 4:25 on power moves inside.

But the Demon Deacons closed the half with an 8-0 run over the final 4:53 that included 3-pointers from O'Kelley and Ervin Murray as the shot clock hit zero and trailed only 33-32 at halftime.