HAM JAM HELPS TEXAS TECH WIN\TEXAS TECH 92, N. CAROLINA 73.

Byline: Barry Jacobs The New York Times

When Darvin Ham went after a rebound of a missed jump shot by his Texas Tech teammate Jason Sasser with a little more than 12 minutes left in the first half Sunday, he did more than give literal meaning to crashing the boards.

The follow jam by Ham shattered the backboard, caused a 29-minute delay in the East Regional game and seemed to shift the emotional tide. Once the backboard was replaced, and three slightly cut players had been treated, the Red Raiders reeled off 10 unanswered points and took the lead for good on their way to a surprisingly decisive 92-73 victory over North Carolina.

The victory was the 23rd in a row for Texas Tech (30-1) and advanced the third-seeded Red Raiders to the regional semifinal Thursday at the Georgia Dome in Atlanta. There they will face second-seeded Georgetown.

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Texas Tech's Darvin Ham shatters the glass with a dunk, causing a long delay. Associated Press