Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: MONDAY, March 21, 1994 TAG: 9403210043
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B-1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: GARY McCANN LANDMARK NEWS SERVICE
DATELINE: LANDOVER, MD. LENGTH: Long
Boston College clotheslined North Carolina's bid to defend its NCAA men's basketball championship Sunday, beating the No. 1-seeded and top-ranked Tar Heels 75-72 in the East Regional second round.
For the first time since 1980, the Tar Heels will not be advancing to the NCAA round of 16.
"We certainly didn't expect it to end here," senior Eric Montross said. "We knew Boston College was capable. We weren't cocky, but we thought we had a good chance.
"There's a lot of disappointment and sadness that it's over."
It was a day when seemingly every loose ball found the hands of a Boston College player, when enough bodies crumbled to the floor to qualify for the World Wrestling Federation, when scattershot 3-pointers by the Eagles fell from all corners of USAir Arena and when the Tar Heels always seemed a fingertip away from getting control.
It was a tearful end for seniors Derrick Phelps, Brian Reese, Montross and Kevin Salvadori, who tasted the thrill of an NCAA title last year then had to endure the bitterly high expectations of this season.
"I can't begin to describe the disappointment I have for the seniors," Carolina coach Dean Smith said. "There are a lot of tears in that locker room, but they are mature enough to know there are bigger problems in the world."
And it was a day when Phelps, the heart of Carolina's defense, had to watch the last 15:53 of his career from the bench through groggy eyes.
Phelps, after a steal, was heading for a breakaway layup that would have cut a 10-point Boston College lead to eight. Instead, Phelps headed into the meaty arm of 6-foot-7, 265-pound freshman Danya Abrams. Abrams slammed Phelps to the floor.
Abrams was called for a flagrant foul, the Tar Heels got two shots and the ball.
The greater result was a mild concussion for Phelps, who did not return, and a migraine of a problem for the Tar Heels.
Although the Tar Heels would use Phelps' injury as a rallying point, tie the game three times and have chances to get the lead, the big play they so desperately needed didn't come.
Instead, the big shots rolled gingerly off the fingers of Boston College guard Gerrod Abram, who finished with 21 points, hitting six of 11 3-point shots.
"We dug ourselves a hole," Montross said. "We didn't do the job we needed to do."
After Carolina outscored the Eagles 17-3 to wipe out a 14-point deficit, 10 of that after Phelps went down, Abram always was there with a long range dagger that stopped the Tar Heels from getting the upper hand.
If Phelps had been around, he likely would have been the man to stop Abram as he had done other times against better guards this season.
But Phelps could only sit with a towel over his head, smelling salts to his nose, while Abram shot the ninth-seeded Eagles into an East Regional semifinals game Friday in Miami against Indiana, a 67-58 winner over Temple.
"There really isn't a whole lot to say," Boston College coach Jim O'Brien said. "This is clearly the best win since I've been coaching, and I'm sure the best win for [our players]. You can't put it into words."
After Phelps went down, the Tar Heels rallied to tie the score at 53 on four straight dunks. It was tied at 58 with 8:38 left when Montross put in a free throw and bonus.
Then it was Abram hitting a 3-pointer. Donald Williams missed a 3-point attempt, and Montross, after rebounding an Abram miss, was called for his fourth foul. With 7:40 to go, Abram hit another 3-pointer, giving the Eagles a 64-58 lead.
"Coach told us that we were going to get as many 3-pointers as we wanted today," said Abram, a 37 percent shooter on 3-pointers. "I just stepped up and hit some."
The Tar Heels paid the price for paying a lot of attention to Howard Eisley, a 49 percent 3-point shooter, who made three of eight.
And after Montross picked up his fourth foul, 6-9 Bill Curley went to work inside, scoring 10 straight points that kept the Eagles ahead 74-72 with 38.1 seconds left.
Montross said the fourth foul affected his play.
"I knew I had to be careful," he said. "It was physical inside and the officials had already had to deal with a couple of flare-ups. Maybe I should have just gone ahead and played physically. But that's not an excuse."
Carolina still had chances.
Down 74-72, the Tar Heels' Jeff McInnis took a 10-foot shot in the lane that grazed the rim. In a snapshot of the entire day, the rebound slipped off the fingertips of 6-10 Rasheed Wallace and into Abram's hands.
Fouled, Abram made a free throw but missed the bonus with 17.6 seconds left, giving BC a 75-72 lead and the Tar Heels a last chance to tie.
After a timeout with 7.6 seconds left, McInnis inbounded the ball to Wallace, who briefly looked outside then stepped to the corner and launched the first 3-point attempt of his career. It banged off the front rim and fell to Abram, who dribbled dizzily to mid-court.
by CNB