THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Monday, March 20, 1995 TAG: 9503200127
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C1 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY TOM ROBINSON, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: TALLAHASSEE, FLA. LENGTH: Medium: 87 lines
North Carolina is the team with no depth, the flaw most mentioned last week when the TV guys handicapped the NCAA tournament. Those Tar Heels - nice starting five, next to nothing in reserve.
So out of the gloom the other day came Serge Zwikker to pull North Carolina from a fire lit by Murray State. Sunday against Iowa State, with center Rasheed Wallace's sprained ankle a little better, Zwikker played three minutes.
All that meant was more time for his fellow sub, senior Pat Sullivan, which this day was necessarily a very good thing.
The Tar Heel player most dogged by despair this season, Sullivan helped spark a first-half comeback from 14 points down that propelled the Tar Heels to a 73-51 victory in the Southeast Regional's second round at the Tallahassee-Leon County Civic Center.
With six points, a rebound and a steal in six minutes, Sullivan set the tone for North Carolina to ratchet up its effort and overtake the precise Cyclones (23-11). When it happened, it happened quickly - 14 consecutive points in 5 1/2 minutes that left the Tar Heels and Iowa State tied at 23 with 1:50 left in the half.
And though Iowa State was still even with 12 minutes to go in the game, the Tar Heels had sown the ominous seed. The Cyclones knew it was only a matter of time before another Tar Heel run - in this case an 11-0 job that came after a 39-39 tie.
Iowa State, with six seniors, hung in and was still within five with 6:26 to play. There, it finally tapped out. North Carolina rattled off 13 more points in a row to finish off the Cyclones and punch a ticket to its 14th trip to the final 16 in 15 seasons.
The Tar Heels (26-5) play again Thursday in Birmingham, Ala. against Georgetown. The teams have met once since theTar Heels beat the Hoyas, 63-62, for the 1982 national championship.
``We got off to a great start, executed the game plan exactly how we wanted, slowed down the tempo, had the game flowing exactly how we wanted it,'' Iowa State guard Fred Hoiberg said. ``Then they picked up their defensive pressure and went to a fullcourt trap, forced us into some turnovers and got some easy baskets. Once they started that, we just couldn't stop them again.''
Collective defense righted the Tar Heels on Sunday - they badgered the Cyclones into 39 percent shooting and outrebounded them by 10 - but the Tar Heels acknowledged Sullivan as the motivational leader. That was unlikely in itself considering the fifth-year senior's mental baggage.
Sullivan voluntarily sat out last season to ease North Carolina's talent glut. Penciled in as a starter this preseason, Sullivan needed back surgery and missed all but five regular-season games. He has seen limited action since his return. Then March 2, Sullivan was further burdened when his father, John, died at 51 after an illness.
Yet Sullivan responded with his finest and longest performance - eight points on 4-for-4 shooting and four rebounds in 15 minutes - since 1993.
``It's been a tough couple of weeks for me with everything that's been going on,'' Sullivan said. ``I don't know if my dad would've been able to make it down to the ballgame, but hopefully he's watching from above right now.''
The early specter was Iowa State methodically taking a 23-9 lead and North Carolina keeping its cool. The Tar Heels began the game 4 for 13 from the field, but went 7 for 9 the rest of the half.
``We were getting some good shots, but we couldn't get them to fall,'' said Wallace, who had seven points and seven rebounds.
``That was the only frustrating part.''
Sullivan hit a jumper, though, to ignite the surge, and the Tar Heels forced three turnovers and got six more quick points, including a layup by Sullivan off his steal.
After Dante Calabria's 3-pointer finally tied it, Wallace picked off a pass at halfcourt in the half's final seconds and dribbled in for a dunk that gave North Carolina a 27-25 lead.
``This should all be fun for Pat right now,'' said Calabria, who scored 13 points, while Jerry Stackhouse and Donald Williams had 15 apiece. ``He's had the hard work coming back from surgery. This is bonus time.''
It is, at least for one more game. ILLUSTRATION: ASSOCIATED PRESS
Rasheed Wallace of North Carolina, left, does a victory dance near
the end of the Tar Heels' win. Coach Dean Smith, right, looks on.
UNC backup forward Pat Sullivan scored six points in six minutes
during a first-half comeback.
by CNB