Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: MONDAY, March 29, 1993                   TAG: 9303290060
SECTION: SPORTS                    PAGE: B3   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: DOUG DOUGHTY STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J.                                LENGTH: Medium

BIG DUNK THAT WASN'T WOULD HAVE CAUSED STIR

"I know [Cincinnati basketball coach] Bob Huggins would have been out there at midcourt," Smith said after North Carolina defeated the Bearcats 75-68 in overtime at the Brendan Byrne Arena.

It was the first overtime game of the season for the Tar Heels, who rallied from a 15-point first-half deficit to lead 66-62 with 1:44 left in regulation.

It was 66-66 when UNC took possession with 35 seconds left, and it seemed that overtime was a certainty when George Lynch's short bank shot rolled off the rim and bounced out of bounds with .8 seconds left.

As soon as Carolina returned from a timeout and he got a look at the Tar Heels' formation, Huggins called a timeout. That enabled Carolina to set up a play for Reese.

"I hadn't planned that play until Bob Huggins called that timeout," Smith said. "Originally, our play was to be run for Eric [Montross]. Then, we changed it and used Eric as the decoy.

"We moved Brian out there, and he was just to touch it and score. I love drawing up plays. Some work and some don't."

Reese was so open that he was able to catch the ball in the middle of the lane, take one step and try to dunk, but the ball ricocheted off the back of the rim.

Replays indicated that the ball did not leave Reese's hand by the time the clock reached :00.0, but official Jody Silvester subsequently told reporters at courtside that he was prepared to call the shot good.

There was no official interpretation from the officials, and Smith's comments about the play were conspicuously absent from the transcript of his postgame interview.

"There will be no interpretation," media coordinator Pete Kowalski said. "It's not an issue. The ball didn't go in. The team that shot the ball ended up winning the game anyway."

Huggins had nothing to say for the record.

"I can't talk about that unless you want to pay the fine," he said in response to a reporter's question.

When the teams left the court to prepare for the overtime, Smith told Reese that the shot would not have counted. He seemed surprised upon learning of Silvester's comments.

"I didn't know that," Smith said. "It shouldn't have counted. I would have thought it would take more than eight-tenths of a second to catch the ball, take a step and shoot it.

"As I told [Reese], I just wanted him to catch the ball and shoot it. He saw the opening and habit took over and he took it to the basket. Maybe he was right if it would have gone in."

Reese missed his first four shots and finished 2-for-9, with four turnovers, but he was praised by Smith for his pass to Lynch for a tying basket at the start of overtime.

"OK, I gave [Reese] an out [by saying the shot would not have counted]," Smith said, "but we actually had two good looks at the basket at the end of regulation.

"Generally, when that happens, in overtime you tend to let down. We tried real hard to regroup at that point and say, `We haven't had an overtime all year; we need to get some practice.' "