The Associated Press

CHAPEL HILL, N.C. - There still appears to be a wide gap between the two winningest programs in college basketball.

Gerald Fitch and Marquis Estill scored all of Kentucky's points during an 18-2 run to start the second half as the 18th-ranked Wildcats defeated North Carolina 98-81 Saturday.

Kentucky beat the No.12 Tar Heels - two programs that have combined for 3,615 wins - for the third straight season, by 17, 20 and 17 points.

"They have a couple of things we don't have," said North Carolina coach Matt Doherty, who fell to 0-3 against the Wildcats. "They have talented big guys who can score."

Fitch finished with a career-high 25 points, while Estill and Keith Bogans added 20 each for the Wildcats (4-1), who made 10 of 16 from 3-point range to beat the young Tar Heels.

"We take pride in this, especially when you beat North Carolina in North Carolina - that's huge," said Fitch, who was 7-for-10 from the field and 7-of-8 from the foul line.

"In the second half, we went down low and they lost their confidence," Fitch added. "When we took the lead, they weren't attacking as much and they weren't as aggressive."

North Carolina (5-2) lost its second straight since jumping into the Top 25. The Tar Heels, who won just eight games last season, lost to Illinois by 27 points on Tuesday night.

"It's better to learn from a win than a loss, but these two games helped us," said freshman Sean May, who had 14 points and 10 rebounds.

Rashad McCants scored 22 to lead the Tar Heels, who were step for step with the Cats until point guard Raymond Felton and May got into foul trouble.

Once that happened, Kentucky pounced on North Carolina's zone, using the big run over the first four minutes to take control. Fitch scored 10 points and Estill had eight during the burst.

Estill didn't score in the first half but made four straight shots out of the gate in the second period, while Fitch sank two mid-range jumpers and two 3-pointers for a 58-45 lead.

Felton picked up his fourth foul on Estill's last basket of the run, and he missed 5‡ minutes as UNC's defense fell apart.

The Tar Heels pulled within eight on two straight 3-pointers by Jackie Manuel, but Bogans countered with two shots behind the arc and Estill added a layup as the Wildcats went up by 18 with 9:38 remaining.

"Keith has matured a lot," coach Tubby Smith said of his senior guard. "He showed some All-American heart and toughness today. He got hit in the face, turned his ankle, and he pretty much got beat up, but he showed why he's an All-American."

The Wildcats made 22 of their 33 second-half shots. They started the second half going 12-for-15, at one point making nine straight shots to dispatch the upstart Tar Heels.

Fitch's previous career high was 18 points in Kentucky's win over High Point on Tuesday.

"Fitch controlled the whole game," Doherty said.

The last time UNC allowed a team to shoot 60 percent was Wake Forest in 1993.

"We wanted to make a statement, but we have to earn it," Kentucky senior center Jules Camara said. "The way we can earn it is by going out and playing hard against good teams like this. Maybe we sent a message to other teams that you've got to take us seriously."

Kentucky	M	FG	Att	FT	Att	R	A	F	TO	TP
Camara	26	1	6	0	0	2	2	4	2	2
Hayes	34	5	8	6	7	5	3	2	2	16
Estill	28	9	13	2	3	6	2	2	2	20
Fitch	37	7	10	7	8	4	2	0	2	25
Bogans	31	7	13	3	6	3	3	4	1	20
Moss	1	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
Stockton	3	0	1	0	0	0	1	0	1	0
Carrier	4	0	0	0	0	1	0	1	0	0
LeMaster	1	0	1	0	0	1	0	1	1	0
Cote	1	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
Daniels	19	4	4	0	1	5	2	2	2	9
Heisenbuttel	1	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	1	0
Azubuike	14	2	2	0	0	1	0	1	2	6
Totals	200	35	58	18	25	30	15	17	16	98

Team rebounds - 2.

N.Carolina	M	FG	Att	FT	Att	R	A	F	TO	TP
Williams	26	3	9	2	2	4	2	2	6	8
McCants	37	9	14	1	3	5	4	4	0	22
May	33	6	11	2	5	10	1	4	2	14
Felton	32	7	15	3	4	4	7	4	2	18
Manuel	28	2	7	0	2	4	1	2	2	6
Scott	16	2	3	0	0	1	2	1	1	5
Holmes	4	1	1	0	0	1	0	0	0	3
Grant	5	0	0	0	0	0	0	2	1	0
Noel	12	1	1	0	0	2	1	0	1	2
Sanders	4	0	2	0	0	0	0	1	0	0
Johnson	3	1	3	0	0	1	0	0	0	3
Totals	200	32	66	8	16	35	18	20	15	81

Team rebounds - 3.

Kentucky	40	58	-98
N.Carolina	43	38	-81

3-pointers - Kentucky 10-16 (Hayes 0-1, Fitch 4-5, Bogans 3-6, LeMaster 0-1, Daniels 1-1, Azubuike 2-2), North Carolina 9-24 (Williams 0-2, McCants 3-5, May 0-1, Felton 1-5, Manual 2-6, Scott 1-2, Holmes 1-1, Johnson 1-2). Officials - Gerald Boudreaux, Duke Edsall, Bryan Kersey. Attendance - 21,750.