While the tomahawk dunks of Brendan Haywood and the feather-soft jumpers of Joseph Forte may dominate UNC clips on the evening news, this is a team that is fast becoming known for its tenacity when it doesn't have the ball. Sunday was the 14th consecutive game that UNC has kept a foe under 50 percent from the field. The team was tied for eighth in the nation in field-goal percentage defense heading into its tangle with State, holding opponents to an average of 38.2 percent shooting on the season. According to Haywood, who is UNC's all-time leader in blocked shots, the Heels would be happy to be known more for defense than offense. Offense comes and goes.
Defense can be there every night.
It was certainly there against the Wolfpack, especially in the first half. The Pack only mustered six points through the first 13 minutes, as UNC coach Matt Doherty cycled in bench players that matched the defensive intensity of the Heels' starters. Doherty's strategy began to take its toll on the injury-depleted Wolfpack late in the first half. But the Pack had expended so much energy getting close against a tenacious Tar Heels' 'D,' it didn't have the legs to overtake its opponent. By the time the halftime buzzer sounded, UNC had ripped off eight unanswered points to go up 31-21.