ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1997, Roanoke Times
DATE: Friday, March 14, 1997 TAG: 9703140064
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B-1 EDITION: METRO
DATELINE: WINSTON-SALEM, N.C.
SOURCE: JACK BOGACZYK THE ROANOKE TIMES
Dean Smith needs one win to break Adolph Rupp's mark of 876 career victories.
Dean Smith was trying to tie the knot with Adolph Rupp, but Fairfield kept trying to throw a Stag party.
The Thursday night opener in the NCAA East Regional at Joel Coliseum brought basketball history as expected - but almost the kind that was unexpected.
In 12 years of 64-team brackets, no 16th seed in an NCAA Tournament bracket has beaten a No.1. Fairfield, with one of the worst records in 59 years of NCAA Tournaments, sure tried against North Carolina.
Before a sellout crowd in an atmosphere that was very close to home for the Tar Heels, the nation's fifth-ranked team barely outlasted the Stags 82-74, giving Smith, their 36th-year head coach, his 876th career victory.
That tied Smith with fellow Kansas native and late Kentucky legend Adolph Rupp for the most wins in NCAA coaching history. Smith will go for the mark and No.877 at 12:15 p.m. Saturday (WDBJ, Channel 7) against Colorado.
Smith almost had to wait until next season, despite a record effort of another kind by his team in its 13th straight victory of the season, the 17th in a row in NCAA first-rounders.
UNC had only two turnovers in the game, a school best. The old low, three, was matched three times, the last one in the March 7, 1982 ACC Tournament championship victory over Virginia. That 47-45 game was played at a much slower pace.
Asked what he told the Tar Heels (25-6), stunningly trailing 35-28 at halftime, Smith cracked, ``You mean after the `Win one for the Gipper' speech?''
Smith has steadfastly refused to discuss his approaching hallmark this season, and Thursday night was no exception. It would have been a moot point anyway, had Carolina not played so spectacularly in the second half.
In the final 20 minutes, UNC hit 63 percent of its shots and had no turnovers - and still almost lost. The Heels' lead was a very precarious 72-69 with just over two minutes to play.
Particularly incredible was Stags guard Greg Francis, who was the most valuable player of the MAAC tourney two weekends ago in Buffalo.
The 6-foot-3 senior from Toronto finished his career with 26 points, including 8-of-12 shooting from behind the 3-point arc. It wasn't so much that he made them, however, as how - seemingly from wherever he wanted, whenever he wanted.
The Stags, who reached the field with an 11-18 record as the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference tournament champs, shot their way to a 24-15 lead after 11 minutes.
Carolina didn't take the lead for good until Antawn Jamison's hoop gave it a 61-59 edge with 7:07 to play. It wasn't long after that that Heels' sophomore Vince Carter, running past press row, looked toward the assembled media and said, ``Damn!''
It was a remark of frustration and admiration. Only three teams in history have entered NCAA play with worse records than Fairfield, but the Stags didn't play like it.
``I just told our players how proud I am of them,'' said Stags coach Paul Cormier. ``We were within a shot of one of the greatest upsets in basketball history.'' NOTE: please see microfilm for scores.
LENGTH: Medium: 71 lines ILLUSTRATION: PHOTO: ASSOCIATED PRESS. A North Carolina fan holds a signby CNBcommemorating Dean Smith's 876th victory, tying the Division I
record held by Adolph Rupp. color.