Redick becomes ACC career scoring leader

PHILADELPHIA -- Duke's J.J. Redick set the Atlantic Coast Conference career scoring record in the second half of Saturday's game against Temple, sinking two free throws to set the mark.

Redick, who also holds the NCAA record for career 3-pointers, passed Dickie Hemric, who finished with 2,587 points for Wake Forest. Redick also holds Duke's career scoring mark, passing assistant coach Johnny Dawkins on Sunday.

With flashbulbs popping throughout the Wachovia Center and photographers crammed behind the basket, Redick sank two free throws with 1:28 left to set the mark. The sold-out crowd gave him a standing ovation and his teammates patted him on the head as he went to the huddle for a timeout.

Redick took awhile to get going, scoring his first basket on a layup midway through the first half, then didn't score again until he hit a 3-pointer in the opening minutes of the second half. Another driving layup with 11:07 left gave him seven points and tied the ACC mark.

Redick entered the game second in the nation in scoring with 28.7 points.

(2) North Carolina 77, (1) Duke 65

CHAPEL HILL, N.C. -- North Carolina left little doubt Saturday about who is No. 1.

Ivory Latta scored 18 points to help the second-ranked Tar Heels beat top-ranked Duke 77-65, a win that gave North Carolina the Atlantic Coast Conference regular-season title and a likely return to the top of the national rankings.

Erlana Larkins and La'Tangela Atkinson each added 16 points for the Tar Heels (26-1, 13-1), who led the entire way to earn their fifth straight win in the series. North Carolina earned its second win against a No. 1-ranked team -- both against Duke -- in 21 tries and earned the top seed in next week's ACC tournament for the second straight season.

Wanisha Smith scored 16 points to lead the Blue Devils (25-2, 12-2), whose only losses have come against the Tar Heels this year. The Blue Devils head into the ACC tournament as the second seed.

North Carolina did it with defense and rebounding, two staples of coach Sylvia Hatchell's program. The Tar Heels were outrebounded in seven of their last 10 games, but took a 54-44 edge on the glass and had as many offensive boards (25) as Duke did on the defensive end.

Larkins led North Carolina with 14 rebounds, eight offensive, while Atkinson had 11 rebounds.

That gave the Tar Heels plenty of second-chance scores on a day when they shot just 39 percent, including 2-for-11 from 3-point range. That was enough to help them build a 17-point second-half lead as Duke shot 34 percent, including 3-for-21 from behind the arc.

Duke also committed 23 turnovers.

Duke All-American Monique Currie marked her 23rd birthday with a woeful performance. She managed 13 points on 5-for-18 shooting -- much of it coming when Duke trailed by double figures.

The Blue Devils made a frantic rally to close within five points with 2 minutes left, but could get no closer. Atkinson scored a pair of layups by breaking the press, while the Tar Heels went 6-of-7 at the line in the final 2 minutes to seal it.

The game marked the first advanced sellout for the North Carolina women, requiring the first ticket distribution for students, faculty and staff at Carmichael Auditorium. There was a line of at least 1,000 fans waiting to get in nearly two hours before tipoff.

Both teams looked a little skittish early in front of the rowdy environment, combining to shoot 32 percent in a first half full of missed jumpers and layups rolling off the rim.

But the Tar Heels dominated the second half, driving into the paint for easier shots while continuing to play the aggressive pressure defense that seemed to unnerve the Blue Devils the entire way.

North Carolina scored the game's first six points and led 32-25 at halftime before using a 17-5 spurt to take control. Leading 34-31, the Tar Heels scored on eight straight possessions to take a 51-36 lead with 12:43 left on Larkins' second stickback of the run.

That lead grew to 17 points twice, the last time coming on a layup from Alex Miller off a feed from Atkinson for a 61-44 lead with 6:42 left.