Notebook: Bremerton's Williams leads Tar Heels to win

CHAPEL HILL, N.C. — North Carolina freshman Marvin Williams made three-pointers and drove to the basket. The former Bremerton High School standout punctuated his performance with a spectacular dunk, where he posed in the air with his left hand behind his head.

And it all came after Williams spent a good portion of the day in bed, recovering from the flu.

"He's a freak," teammate Rashad McCants said.

Williams scored a season-high 20 points, helping the second-ranked Tar Heels beat North Carolina State 95-71 last night.

With the illness circulating through the team, Williams joined coach Roy Williams in taking intravenous fluids before the game.

"He got it on Saturday night, and I didn't get it until Monday night," Roy Williams said of the illness.

"Hopefully, three days from now, I'll look like Marvin."

In 23 minutes of play, Williams made 5 of 8 shots from the field, including 3 of 4 three-point attempts. He was 7 of 8 from the free-throw line and added five rebounds.

"I'm comfortable," Williams said. "I feel like I can shoot 'em. I take them when they're open."

Late in the game, several teammates on the bench were mimicking Williams' post-dunk pose.

"He is awesome," said Herb Sendek, North Carolina State's coach. "I don't think there is anything he can't do."

It's an opinion shared by those who see the 6-foot-9 Williams compete in practice each day.

"At the beginning of the season, I think he was a little hesitant to take some shots and now he's just playing," teammate Sean May said. "Now, he's starting to realize that he has a little more freedom and can do more things.

"The kid's unbelievable."

May contributed 16 points and 14 rebounds for the Tar Heels (18-2 overall, 7-1 Atlantic Coast Conference). Raymond Felton reached 1,000 career points and added 10 assists for North Carolina, which has won 18 of its past 19 games.

The Tar Heels, who led 51-32 at halftime, improved to 11-0 at home.

"Anytime you score 90 points on a team that wants to score in the 50s and 60s, you've really got the game under control," May said.

Julius Hodge had 18 points but it wasn't nearly enough for the Wolfpack (13-8, 3-5).

During the game, McCants looked toward a friend in the stands and made a throat-slash gesture.

"Coach told me it was something that wasn't appropriate for us as a team," McCants said. "I made a mistake in doing it, and it probably will never happen again."

• Brigham Young forward Chris Miles was reprimanded by the Mountain West Conference for kicking Utah center Andrew Bogut during Monday's game between the rival teams.

"This type of behavior is unacceptable for a student-athlete in the Mountain West Conference," commissioner Craig Thompson said in a statement.

The MWC commended both BYU coach Steve Cleveland and Utah coach Ray Giacoletti, formerly Eastern Washington's coach, for diffusing the situation.