THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Thursday, January 5, 1995 TAG: 9501050561
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C1 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY FRANK VEHORN, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: RALEIGH LENGTH: Medium: 72 lines
If North Carolina State coach Les Robinson had seen a crowd of Wolfpack fans rushing toward him last year, he might have thought it was a lynch mob.
But the only thing Robinson had to fear Wednesday night when fans rushed on the court following State's intoxicating 80-70 victory over No. 1 North Carolina was that he might be hugged to death.
``The fans are just as hungry for success as our players are, and I am happy for them,'' Robinson said after finally making his way off the court.
``This was a very, very big win for us, and our fans indicated that with their reaction and and enthusiasm after the game.''
Robinson felt the heat from N.C. State fans after winning only seven ACC games in the past two years.
``We are not all the way back yet, but last year we were a lot closer than most people thought,'' Robinson said.
As far as Wolfpack fans are concerned, it can't get much better than what happened Wednesday night in Reynolds Coliseum as the ACC regular season began.
The unranked Wolfpack (8-2, 1-0 ACC) led most of the way and wrapped up its first victory in almost three years over its archrival down the stretch behind the shooting of senior guard Lakista McCuller.
It was State's first victory over a No. 1 team since it defeated North Carolina on Feb. 23, 1986.
The 6-foot-3 McCuller scored 13 of his 24 points in the final 5:28.
After UNC's Donald Williams tied the score at 66 with a 3-pointer with 2:32 left, McCuller put State ahead for keeps with another 3-pointer 17 seconds later.
He finished up by making four straight free throws in the final 50 seconds.
``I wanted the ball down the stretch,'' McCuller said. ``It was time for me to step up and play my best. That is what I had to do.''
McCuller, who leads the ACC in 3-point shooting, made six of his seven field goals from beyond the arc.
``Those are the kind of shots I make in practice, so I am confident that I can make them in the games, too,'' McCuller said.
UNC's Dante Calabria, normally a starter, dressed but did not play because of a sprained ankle.
North Carolina coach Dean Smith refused to blame his team's first loss on Calabria's absence.
``I don't think not having (Calabria) had a lot to do with the outcome,'' Smith said.
``I thought Pearce Landry (who replaced Calabria) was one of our better defensive players out there.''
Smith ordered the Tar Heels to play more zone than usual, though, to help his shallow team conserve its energy for a stretch run.
``We wanted to keep it close and win at the end,'' Smith said.
Sophomore Jerry Stackhouse helped the Tar Heels to stay close with a 24-point effort.
Smith thought his ``win at the end'' strategy was going to pay off when Williams hit his 3-pointer to tie the score.
``Then McCuller hit a crushing 3-pointer and that was that,'' Smith said.
``But I have seen this scenario before. You go into the other guy's gym and they give a gung-ho effort. But we will learn from this, and we had better learn quickly because we've got Maryland coming in Saturday.'' ILLUSTRATION: Associated Press color photo
North Carolina State fans swarm the Reynolds Coliseum court after
the Wolfpack's 80-70 upset win over North Carolina on Wednesday
night in Raleigh. It was N.C. State's first win over UNC since
1992.
by CNB