Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SATURDAY, March 10, 1990 TAG: 9003102356
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B2 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: BILL BRILL EXECUTIVE SPORTS EDITOR
DATELINE: CHARLOTTE, N.C. LENGTH: Medium
After jumping to a 26-point lead against eighth-seeded Wake Forest, the Tigers saw the Deacons cut the deficit to three with 1:53 left.
But, with the shot clock running down, sophomore David Young nailed a 3-pointer from the corner, right in front of Ellis, and the top-seeded Tigers held on for a 79-70 victory.
" Big!" yelled Ellis, when asked about Young's shot. It was the only basket of the game for Young, who later made three free throws to wrap up the victory for the Tigers (24-7).
Young shoots below 31 percent from beyond the 3-point arc, and Clemson isn't a good long-range team.
Usually, the Tigers count on their "Duo of Doom," 6-foot-10 Elden Campbell and 6-11 Dale Davis, both first-team All-ACC choices.
However, Campbell had strep throat and didn't start. He played sparingly and contributed just nine points and two rebounds. Ellis said Davis also wasn't feeling well, as his totals of nine points and nine rebounds indicated.
"I credit our perimeter people and Sean Tyson [14 of his 16 points in the opening spurt]," Ellis said.
This was the first time Clemson had come in as the No. 1 seed, and the Tigers' legacy of 7-36 in ACC Tournament play loomed large. Only once, in 1962, have they ever reached the final.
"Games and history and all that stuff, that's all I've been hearing," Ellis said. "Tradition was kicked in the butt again."
For 14 minutes, it appeared the Tigers were on their way to a record-breaking victory. Even with little help from their big guys, they roared to a 37-11 lead by making 17 of 24 shots while Wake Forest was 4-of-18.
The Deacons even lost their point guard, Derrick McQueen, who suffered a mild concussion after a frightening, three-player fall initiated by teammate Ralph Kitley.
McQueen was taken from the court on a stretcher and was admitted to a nearby hospital. He was scheduled to be released this morning.
But Wake didn't quit, closing to 44-33 before halftime on a 3-pointer by freshman walk-on David Hedgecoe. The guard joined the Deacons in December and doesn't even have his name on his jersey.
In the second half, Robert Siler and Chris King led a rally as Wake cut its deficit to 65-61, with most of the crowd of 23,530 cheering on the Deacons.
At that stage, Wake turned over the ball on three straight possessions and fell behind by eight.
But two buckets by King, the last with 1:53 remaining, made it 71-68.
"We decided to go with a zone and stick with it," said Dave Odom, the Deacons' first-year coach. "We wanted to make them take a long shot and hopefully miss.
"But Young made it, we missed at the other end and he made two [free throws]. Those two possessions were the game."
Young had no choice but to shoot. There were six seconds left on the shot clock when he scored.
WAKE MP FG FT R A F PT
Ivy385-133-451013King399-193-6101221Kitley241-10-01112Johnson50-10-00000Carlyl e90-30-01100McQueen80-20-00100Tucker345-114-5113314Wise30-00-00010Siler277-120 -264317Sanders30-10-00010Hedgecoe101-10-01323Totals200 28-64 10-17 38 15 13 70
CLEMSON MP FG FT R A F PT
Forrest277-90-144416Tyson318-130-061116Davis354-81-29229Young181-43-42406Cash3 55-101-127411Campbell234-71-22129Howling255-90-113112Lastinger50-00-00010Jones 10-00-00000Totals200 34-60 6-11 29 22 15 79
Wake Forest 33 37-70
Clemson 44 35-79
Three-point goals-Wake Forest 4-14 (Carlyle 0-3, McQueen 0-2, Tucker 0-1, Siler 3-7, Hedgecoe 1-1), Clemson 5-9 (Forrest 2-2, Young 1-3, Howling 2-4).
Turnovers-Wake Forest 13, Clemson 13.
Technicals-None. Officials-Wirtz, Moreau, Croft. A-23,530.
by CNB