Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: TUESDAY, April 6, 1993 TAG: 9304060186
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: FRANK VEHORN LANDMARK NEWS SERVICE
DATELINE: NEW ORLEANS LENGTH: Medium
HEELS SUPER IN THE DOME
Call it Bayou Voodoo, or call it North Carolina luck.Whatever you call it, the North Carolina Tar Heels won their second NCAA men's basketball championship in the Louisiana Superdome in the strangest way Monday night. Again.
Carolina embraced a 77-71 victory over Michigan when the Wolverines' Chris Webber tried to call a timeout that his team didn't have with 11 seconds remaining.
At the time, Michigan trailed only 72-69.
Webber, after rebounding a missed free throw by Carolina's Pat Sullivan, dribbled the ball across midcourt and signaled for timeout in front of the Michigan bench.
The Wolverines, who already had used up their timeouts, were called for a technical foul.
Carolina's Donald Williams went to the free-throw line to hit a pair of free throws, and added another two moments later.
Webber told Michigan coach Steve Fisher he heard someone shouting for him to call time, and did not realize there were none left.
Later Webber said he "did not remember" if he heard anyone telling him to call a timeout.
"I just called time out and we didn't have one. That probably cost us the game," the big, bald sophomore said.
Carolina's George Lynch, who was helping to double-team Webber, said he heard "everyone on the Michigan bench and people in the stands" shouting for Webber to call a timeout.
"I knew they didn't have any left," Lynch said.
Fisher recalled that Carolina's 1982 championship victory on the same floor was aided when Georgetown's Fred Brown threw a pass to a Carolina player in the final seconds.
"In the heat of battle things happen that you say can't happen," Fisher said.
Fisher would not join Webber in saying the mistake cost Michigan the title.
North Carolina coach Dean Smith was most outspoken in the same belief.
"It didn't cost them the game," Smith said. "I hope no one says we won this one on a freak play, too."
Smith pointed out that Carolina had only three team fouls and had three fouls to give in the final 11 seconds to prevent Michigan from scoring.
Webber, too, was being double-teamed on the sidelines and it would have been difficult getting a 3-point shot off to tie.
Williams, a sophomore, duplicated his 25-point performance in Saturday's semifinals win over Kansas and was named the most valuable player.
It was his 3-pointer with 3:51 remaining that ignited Carolina's winning rally after Michigan had taken a 67-63 lead.
Derrick Phelps followed with a layup to give the Heels the lead and Lynch pumped in a jumper at 2:07 for a 70-67 lead.
Eric Montross stuffed in another basket to expand the lead, but Michigan's Ray Jackson cut the margin to three with a goal at :46 seconds.
That was when Michigan called its final timeout, and was notified by game officials it had no more remaining.
"I knew we didn't have any left and I thought I had made it clear to my players," Fisher said. "Apparently, though, I did not and I take the responsibility for that."
After being down 44-36 after Montross opened the half with a hook, Michigan came back to take a 60-58 lead on consecutive goals by Webber with 8:30 left.
"Our goal was to wear them out, but it seemed like that wore us down," Smith said.
Williams kept the sagging Tar Heels close with a trio of 3-pointers in the final half. \
see microfilm for box score