ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Saturday, March 9, 1996 TAG: 9603120043
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B-3 EDITION: METRO
DATELINE: GREENSBORO, N.C.
SOURCE: DOUG DOUGHTY STAFF WRITER
RICK BARNES FINALLY gets the best of Dean Smith in an ACC tournament quarterfinal.
This was the way Rick Barnes would have wanted to get under Dean Smith's skin.
Barnes, who has feuded with Smith for two years, had the satisfaction Friday night of coaching the first Clemson team to defeat the Tar Heels in the ACC tournament.
``The best thing was looking in the eyes of our players as they walked off the floor,'' said Barnes after the Tigers' 75-73 victory at the Greensboro Coliseum. ``This was a great, great win for our program.''
It couldn't have come in more dramatic fashion, as Greg Buckner came open to the left of the basket and dunked with feeling with 0.6 seconds remaining.
``When you're scrambling and trapping the ball like they were, somebody is going to be open,'' Buckner said. ``I wasn't surprised at all. When I saw there was 0.6 on the clock, I was 99 percent sure we would win.''
Carolina, which had won all 11 of its previous ACC tournament meetings with Clemson, gave up the ball when Jeff McInnis threw the ball out of bounds after intended target Dante Calabria cut toward the basket.
Point guard Terrell McIntyre, one of four freshmen who start for Clemson, held the ball until nine seconds remained on the clock and then drove toward the wing. He escaped a double team by passing to Harold Jamison at the foul line.
``In the two years since we took over the program, we've talked about a lot of things,'' said Barnes. ``If you'd told me we would have a win over every team in the conference. I'm not sure that would have happened.''
Barnes previously was 0-5 against Smith, with two of the games ending in controversy, after Barnes charged Smith with talking to his players. Their last exchange was settled in the home of ACC commissioner Gene Corrigan.
``I'd like to congratulate Clemson on a well-played game,'' Smith said Friday night. ``I was real impressed with our team in the first half. I am disappointed in the loss, but we think we have more left in the season.''
The Tar Heels, who got a game-high 22 points from McInnis, shot 59.3 percent from the floor and finished at 54.0. The Tar Heels fell to 20-10 after their first opening-game loss in the ACC tournament since 1990.
``We talked about this being more than an ACC tournament game,'' said Barnes, whose Tigers improved to 18-9. ``We felt that a win would put us in the NCAA Tournament.''
Clemson, which has never beaten North Carolina in Chapel Hill, will meet defending champion Wake Forest (21-5) in the second semifinal today at 4. The Tigers never have won the ACC tournament and have not played in the final since 1962.
``If we win two more games for us, it's a very big win,'' said Buckner, who had 20 points and shared team scoring honors with McIntyre. ``If we lose tomorrow, it's just like any other win.''
NOTE: Please see microfilm for scores.
LENGTH: Medium: 60 linesby CNB