Surgery for Copeland

Mike Copeland, a 6-7 rising senior forward on the North Carolina men's basketball team, injured his right knee in a pickup basketball game last week and will need surgery to repair a torn anterior cruciate ligament. The surgery will take place in early June once the swelling goes down. Athletics trainer Marc Davis said that recovery from this type injury typically takes six to eight months.

Copeland, a native of Winston-Salem who played prep ball at R.J. Reynolds, played in 25 Carolina games last season, scoring 30 points and grabbing 16 rebounds.

Spaulding perfect

Sophomore Danielle Spaulding lived up to her billing as the ACC Player of the Year on Thursday as she hurled the first perfect game in ACC Tournament history en route to leading the No. 13 Tar Heels (50-9-1) to a 6-0 win over Virginia in the opening round of the ACC Tournament in College Park, Md.

Spaulding struck out nine batters in the gem while also going 2-for-2 at the plate with a run scored and a pair of RBI. The perfect game is the first by a Tar Heel since Crystal Cox accomplished the feat against Elon in 2005.

UNC was scheduled to continue play Saturday against N.C. State.

Heels keep rolling

The second-ranked Carolina baseball team won for the 16th time in 17 games as it opened its weekend series at No. 24 Virginia with a 9-3 win.

Right-hander Alex White struck out eight over six strong innings, and first baseman Dustin Ackley posted his second straight three-RBI game to lift Carolina to 41-8, 19-5 ACC. Virginia dropped to 33-16, 13-12, and hasn't beaten UNC in its last three attempts dating to last season.

White (8-2) held Virginia to six hits and three runs in six-plus innings. He left with one on in the seventh, and lefty Brian Moran, who tossed two shutout innings, came on to strand two runners and preserve a four-run lead for the Tar Heels. Rob Wooten closed with a scoreless ninth inning.

Ackley, who was 2-for-3 with a two-run double in the fourth and a sacrifice fly in the eighth, was one of three Tar Heels with two hits on the night. Shortstop Garrett Gore was 2-for-4 with two RBI for his third straight multi-hit game, and third baseman Chad Flack went 2-for-5 with an RBI. Nine different players hit safely for UNC.

The series continued Saturday night and concludes at 1 p.m. today. After a Tuesday meeting with Winthrop Carolina closes the regular season with fans' dream -- the Heels are slated to square off in a three-game series against No. 1 Miami in Coral Gables, Fla. The ACC Tournament follows and starts March 21.