THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, March 12, 1995 TAG: 9503120474
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C1 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY TOM ROBINSON, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: GREENSBORO LENGTH: Medium: 95 lines
If a 97-92 overtime loss to North Carolina on Saturday was Joe Smith's final ACC competition, Maryland's star center leaves jousting the emptiness that comes from knowing you did something well, but you could've been better.
The sophomore player-of-the-year candidate from Norfolk, a certain lottery pick if he declares for the NBA draft, scored 24 points with 10 rebounds and four blocked shots in a superb ACC tournament semifinal.
That is not to be taken for granted. But on this afternoon at the Greensboro Coliseum, Smith faltered in a couple critical moments while his rival and fellow sophomore, Rasheed Wallace, scored a career-high 33 points.
Jerry Stackhouse, the game's other renowned sophomore, had 19 points and 14 rebounds and saved the Tar Heels with a 3-pointer that forced overtime after a late Maryland rally. And Jeff McInnis, another sophomore, drilled a clutch 3-pointer with 2:14 left in overtime that gave second-seeded North Carolina (24-4) the chance to repeat as champion today at 3 p.m. against Wake Forest, the top seed.
``We fell short at Virginia last week when we could've won the regular season, and we wanted to come here and prove something in the ACC tournament,'' Smith said. ``That's why you see so many long faces in the locker room. This game really hurt us.''
Only 24 hours will elapse between the defeat and tonight's announcement of NCAA tournament seedings, which probably will renew the spirit of most every Terrapin. Until then, though, Smith might replay his failure to score a field goal or shoot more than twice from the 10:14 mark until 50 seconds remained in the five-minute extra period.
And after Johnny Rhodes' 3-pointer gave Maryland an 80-78 lead and sub Wayne Bristol answered Donald Williams' 3-pointer with an unlikely 3-bomb of his own, Smith missed a free throw that would have given Maryland (24-7) a four-point lead with 1:44 left in regulation.
That opened the door for Williams to make a jumper and, after Simpkins' two free throws, for Stackhouse to sink his only 3-pointer in five attempts to tie it at 86. Smith then had a shot rejected by Wallace with about 30 seconds left, one of Wallace's five blocks.
Finally, in the first two minutes of overtime, Smith, a 75-percent foul shooter, made only 2 of 4 free throws and North Carolina inched away.
Still, the Tar Heels led only 92-90 when Dante Calabria saved a rebound by knocking it out of bounds off Simpkins. After a TV timeout, Calabria found McInnis in the left corner, and the point guard hit the crucial 3-pointer.
``You can't let that sit in your mind, that that could've been another point we could've had,'' said Smith, who made 7 of 11 foul shots. ``But it's tough when you miss a free throw in a close game like this.''
That it was close is a credit to Maryland, which slogged its way through a 71-64 quarterfinal victory over Florida State.
``A lot of people thought we were gonna get blown out because of our performance (Friday) night,'' said Smith, who missed six minutes of the first half because of two fouls. ``But we came in ready to play.''
North Carolina led, 43-36, at the half and by nine with eight minutes left in the second half. Wallace scored 15 of the Tar Heels' first 18 second-half points.
``At halftime, I said, `Do whatever you want to do but make sure Rasheed sees the ball,' '' North Carolina coach Dean Smith said. ``You have to credit our guys for getting it to him.''
``He was knocking down jump-hooks, turnaround jumpers, everything,'' Joe Smith said. ``Rasheed did a great job calling for the ball. He really wanted it.''
Yet Maryland, which got 23 points from Exree Hipp, wouldn't go away.
The Terps' tenacity showed after Stackhouse followed a missed free throw by freshman Shammond Williams for a 78-72 lead with 4:02 left.
Hipp nailed a 3-pointer, Rhodes made a layup following Donald Williams' miss and, after Smith stole a pass, Rhodes sank the 3 that put Maryland ahead.
In overtime, Maryland's pluck remained. Inside two minutes, the Terps forced Wallace to fire up a wild shot to beat the shot clock, and Smith dunked on the other end. Then McInnis, also trying to beat the clock, lofted an air ball with 15 seconds left. But with the chance to tie it, Simpkins missed a 3-pointer. Wallace rebounded and made two free throws for the final margin.
``That's as good as you're gonna get, on both sides,'' Maryland interim coach Billy Hahn said. ``Our guys got guts.'' ILLUSTRATION: Color photo
PAUL AIKEN/Staff
Mario Lucas of Maryland, top, and North Carolina's Dante Calabria
battle. Calabria's late-game heroics included knocking the ball out
of bounds off a Maryland player and then making a key assist.
Photo
PAUL AIKEN/Staff
Rasheed Wallace of UNC shoots over Maryland's Joe Smith. Wallace had
a career-high 33 points on 13-of-19 shooting.
by CNB