Feb. 14, 1998

CHAPEL HILL, N.C. (AP) - Antawn Jamison was nearly perfect with his varietyof inside moves, matching his career high with 36 points as No. 1 NorthCarolina avenged its only loss of the season, beating No. 24 Maryland 85-67Saturday for the program's best start in 14 years.

Jamison started 12-for-14 from the field and added 16 rebounds as the TarHeels (26-1, 12-1 Atlantic Coast Conference) clinched at least a first- orsecond-place finish in the ACC for the 29th time in the last 34 seasons.

It was Jamison's third 30-point game in his last four and fourth this seasonas the Tar Heels have won nine straight, 42 of 44 overall and 23 of their last24 ACC games.

The Terrapins (15-8, 8-5) had won eight of 10 coming in, including an 89-83overtime victory against the top-ranked Tar Heels on Jan. 14 in College Park,Md., and the last two in the Smith Center, but failed to become the first teamto beat the Tar Heels here three straight times.

Maryland was the only team to break the 50 percent shooting barrier againstNorth Carolina in the last 44 games, but was off the mark Saturday, hittingonly 35.3 percent.

North Carolina led by nine points at halftime after shooting 54.3 percent,then went on a 9-2 run to open the second half as Shammond Williams scored inthe lane, Ed Cota nailed a 3-pointer and Jamison added six points. Thelong-range shot was Cota's first since the Maryland loss a month ago.

Once up by 18 points, the Terrapins could pull no closer than 11 over thefinal 12 minutes.

Terence Morris led the Terrapins with 16 points, while Williams added 18 forthe Tar Heels.

Maryland jumped out to an early seven-point lead, scoring on its first sixpossessions before the Tar Heels buckled down on defense and started gettingthe ball to Jamison inside the Terrapins' zone.

Jamison scored eight straight points midway through the half, then had sixin North Carolina's closing 12-4 run as the Tar Heels went up 41-32 athalftime. The junior was 9-for-11 from the field with six rebounds in 16minutes in the first half.