hard to preepare to play against Andre

CHAPEL HILL, N.C. -- Justin Jackson buried shot after shot from behind the arc in the best performance of his career for No. 7 North Carolina. Coach Roy Williams didnt have much to feel good about otherwise.Jackson matched his career high with 27 points and hit a career-best seven 3-pointers to help the Tar Heels beat Davidson 83-74 on Wednesday night, though they struggled both to slow down high-scoring Wildcats guard Jack Gibbs and find much of a rhythm with top point guard Joel Berry II sidelined by a sprained left ankle.Well its been a lot of fun watching this basketball team at certain times this year, Williams said. It was not fun tonight.The Tar Heels (9-1) didnt get in any kind of groove offensively, with the 6-foot-8 Jackson largely carrying the offense on a night when they got little production from the front line. He had shot 30 percent from 3-point range through his first two seasons and was up to 35 percent coming in before matching his previous high of four 3s by halftime.Confidence and stepping into it -- I think thats all it was, Jackson said. I knew I had to step up more but then whenever I got my shots, I just stepped into it like it was another shot.But UNC shot just 38 percent, while only Isaiah Hicks (13 points) and reserve Luke Maye (career-high 10 points, all before halftime) reached double figures.Gibbs -- ranked seventh nationally by averaging 23.3 points -- finished with 30 points for the Wildcats (5-3), who trailed by 16 midway through the second half before making a late push to get within three in the final 2 minutes.But Kennedy Meeks answered with two free throws, then Hicks followed with two more after getting a big rebound in traffic with 52 seconds left to help UNC hang on.They made some good plays, they got some key rebounds, Gibbs said of the final minutes. Theyve got athletes and sometimes its tough to get those rebounds. Down the stretch, they made the plays and we didnt.BIG PICTUREDavidson: Gibbs is the kind of scorer that can scare any opponent when he gets hot, while Peyton Aldridge (22 points) provides his own matchup troubles. And with a veteran coach like Bob McKillop, this is the kind of team that scares big-name teams come tournament time.I loved the way they fought, McKillop said.UNC: The Tar Heels got a glimpse of life without arguably their top player in Berry. Nate Britt got the start and had six assists but missed all eight of his shots, while Seventh Woods and Stilman White (career-high six points) saw plenty of minutes at the point. But the Tar Heels missed Berrys finish-through-contact toughness, leadership and scoring ability.DEFENSIVE HELPGibbs and Aldridge combined to make 17 of 35 shots, with Gibbs hitting five 3-pointers.As teammates, we `ve got to do a better job of helping off and helping out on players like Gibbs, Meeks said. Like (Williams) probably said in the press conference, either were going to be a mediocre team or were going to be a good team. Weve got to decide before its too late.CONFETTI?The game was 5 seconds old when there was a brief stoppage due to falling confetti-like material fluttering to the court from the rafters of the Smith Center. Arena staffers swept it up and the game resumed within a minute or two.Team spokesman Matt Bowers said at halftime it was believed to be pieces of a padding used to absorb leaks near the ceiling.UP NEXTDavidson: The Wildcats get a 10-day break before playing their fifth power-conference opponent this year, facing No. 3 Kansas on Dec. 17 in Kansas City, Missouri.UNC: The Tar Heels begin a two-game set with Southeastern Conference opponents, first by hosting Tennessee on Sunday before facing No. 6 Kentucky on Dec. 17 in Las Vegas.---Follow Aaron Beard on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/aaronbeardap---More AP college basketball at http://collegebasketball.ap.org and http://www.twitter.com/AP-Top25Alfredo Talavera Jersey . -- When the Florida Panthers fell behind by two goals in the first period to the top team in the NHL, it appeared they were on their way to yet another loss. Jorge Torres Nilo Jersey . Terms of the deal were not immediately available. The 26-year-old finished last season with Clevelands Triple-A affiliate in Columbus after signing with the Indians in August. http://www.nationalsoccermexico.com/jurgen-damm-mexico-jersey/ . John Lucas, signed as a mentor for rookie Trey Burke, showed he can score if required, scoring 12 points of his 16 points in the second quarter as Utah built an 18-point lead. Andres Guardado Mexico Jersey .Y. - Nelson Mandela will be honoured by the New York Yankees with a plaque in Monument Park. Isaac Brizuela Jersey . -- Aldon Smith believes he is on the path to being sober for good.Melbourne skipper Cameron Smith says theres no stopping Sharks enforcer Andrew Fifita.So all the Storm can plan to do in Sundays grand final at ANZ Stadium is limit his damage.Fifita was at his fighting best in the Sharks preliminary final win over North Queensland last Friday night.He was narrowly second in his teams all run metres for the match, and has averaged 3.2 offloads per game this season, prompting Test great Darren Lockyer to name him as the grand final game-breaker.With his ability to draw defenders, Lockyer said Fifita would test the Storms very structured defence.Smith agreed that Fifita would likely be a handful.I think for players like that, its not about trying to take them out of the game its about trying to minimise the impact that they have, Smith said.Youre never going to be able to take a good footballer, the quality of Fifita, out of the game.Smith said while his team would study footage of Fifita, it was hard to fine-tune preparation for the polarising prop.Its hard to preepare to play against Andrew because he is quite unpredictable in what hes going to do, Smith said.ddddddddddddHes a big guy, hes got great skill for a big man and hes got great feet.Thats what makes him so good; hes got a lot of tricks up his sleeve.Sundays decider has a State of Origin flavour with Smith the Queensland skipper and Cronulla captain Paul Gallen the NSW leader.Melbournes Cooper Cronk and Will Chambers are also current Maroons while Cronullas Fifita, James Maloney, Wade Graham and Jack Bird all played for NSW in the last Origin clash.While Cronulla coach Shane Flanagan has implored fans in NSW to get behind his team, Smith wasnt buying the Origin angle.Its Melbourne and Victoria, theyre not part of Origin, Smith said.For us its a grand final and State of Origin is a different beast to the premiership.Its not a state versus state thing, its a team thing. 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