THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, January 22, 1995 TAG: 9501220223
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C1 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY TOM ROBINSON, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: GREENSBORO LENGTH: Long : 129 lines
Jerry Stackhouse and Rasheed Wallace did it. Later, they said no, really, they didn't, it's all in the North Carolina system.
But with Virginia Tech nipping and yapping at the Tar Heels' ankles into the final five minutes Saturday at the Greensboro Coliseum, North Carolina's terrific sophomores stood up and shook the Hokies for good.
The nation's third-ranked team prevailed, 87-76, for many reasons in its first game in Greensboro since 1988, not the least of which was superior individual play. It wasn't easy, certainly. The inspired Hokies were ravenous on the boards, collecting 25 offensive rebounds, and they actually led, 53-50, with 12 minutes to go.
They shot just 37 percent - to North Carolina's 62 percent - for the game as bulky forward Shawn Smith, their scoring leader, charted a miserable 4-for-22 outing. Even so, until Wallace and Stackhouse located overdrive, the Hokies (13-4) were in the hunt.
Quickly, though, it got away in a swirl of electrifying effort that thrilled a record crowd of 22,101 at the renovated coliseum.
As the Tar Heels (14-1) nursed a 66-60 lead, the bedeviled Smith missed two free throws with 5:32 left. When Wallace answered by tipping in Jeff McInnis' miss, then rejecting a Smith shot, it began a run of 5-for-6 shooting by Wallace and Stackhouse in the next four minutes that decided the game.
Stackhouse, a 6-foot-6 forward, followed with two jump shots. Then, on North Carolina's next trip, he lit up the court with a sky-walking slam dunk that rattled the basket support.
After fellow sophomore McInnis chipped in with a jumper and two free throws, Wallace, a 6-10 center, jammed home a Stackhouse miss that gave North Carolina an 80-70 lead at the 1:03 mark.
``It's not really that we say we're
gonna do it by ourselves, because you can't win ballgames by yourself,'' Wallace said after scoring 18 points on 9-of-10 shooting and blocking a career-high seven shots. ``It's a team thing. If I'm not on, Jerry's on, or if not him, Dante (Calabria).
``You never know whose night it's gonna be.''
Stackhouse, who led all scorers with 21 points, echoed that thought, aware that senior guard Donald Williams scored only three points. Fortunately for the Tar Heels, Calabria had it going in Williams' virtual absence. The junior drilled 5 of 7 3-point shots and finished with 17 points.
But his last basket came with more than six minutes left, as he cleared the stage for his two marquee teammates.
``It's just a matter of time with their guys,'' Virginia Tech coach Bill Foster said. ``You're not going to hold them down the whole game. When you boil it down, they shot the ball too well.
``That's the first time in 17 games anybody shot 50 percent against us. And they weren't gimmies.''
Yet North Carolina led by only 37-36 at the half, as the Hokies battled back from a 20-11 deficit after nine minutes.
The Tar Heels turned the ball over five times in their next six trips to open the door for Virginia Tech.
When guard Shawn Good followed by scoring 10 points in a row, the Hokies were up by two, 31-29, with 4:37 left in the half.
But neither Ace Custis, with 19 points, Damon Watlington with 15 nor Travis Jackson with a season-high 12 could erase the trouble Smith had with Wallace.
A 6-6, 250-pound junior, Smith was 2 for 11 in each half and finished with 11 points, six below his average.
``I couldn't see over him. I tried to go around him, but he's so long it was hard for me to get my shots off,'' said Smith, from nearby Gastonia. ``I wanted to play well for my family and a lot of people here from my hometown.
``To be honest, I kept trying to force the issue. A lot of the offense comes to me, and I tried to make the moves I usually make. But playing against somebody like Wallace . . . he showed me he's a great player.''
GREENSBORO - Jerry Stackhouse and Rasheed Wallace did it. Later, they said no, really, they didn't, it's all in the North Carolina system.
But with Virginia Tech nipping and yapping at the Tar Heels' ankles into the final five minutes Saturday at the Greensboro Coliseum, North Carolina's terrific sophomores stood up and shook the Hokies for good.
The nation's third-ranked team prevailed, 87-76, for many reasons in its first game in Greensboro since 1988, not the least of which was superior individual play. It wasn't easy, certainly. The inspired Hokies were ravenous on the boards, collecting 25 offensive rebounds, and they actually led, 53-50, with 12 minutes to go.
They shot just 37 percent - to North Carolina's 62 percent - for the game as bulky forward Shawn Smith, their scoring leader, charted a miserable 4-for-22 outing. Even so, until Wallace and Stackhouse located overdrive, the Hokies (13-4) were in the hunt.
Quickly, though, it got away in a swirl of electrifying effort that thrilled a record crowd of 22,101 at the renovated coliseum.
As the Tar Heels (14-1) nursed a
66-60 lead, the bedeviled Smith missed two free throws with 5:32 left. When Wallace answered by tipping in Jeff McInnis' miss, then rejecting a Smith shot, it began a run of 5-for-6 shooting by Wallace and Stackhouse in the next four minutes that decided the game.
Stackhouse, a 6-foot-6 forward, followed with two jump shots. Then, on North Carolina's next trip, he lit up the court with a sky-walking slam dunk that rattled the basket support.
After fellow sophomore McInnis chipped in with a jumper and two free throws, Wallace, a 6-10 center, jammed home a Stackhouse miss that gave North Carolina an 80-70 lead at the 1:03 mark.
``It's not really that we say we're gonna do it by ourselves, because you can't win ballgames by yourself,'' Wallace said after scoring 18 points on 9-of-10 shooting and blocking a career-high seven shots. ``It's a team thing. If I'm not on, Jerry's on, or if not him, Dante (Calabria).
``You never know whose night it's gonna be.''
Stackhouse, who led all scorers with 21 points, echoed that thought, aware that senior guard Donald Williams scored only three points. Fortunately for the Tar Heels, Calabria had it going in Williams' virtual absence. The junior drilled 5 of 7 3-point shots and finished with 17 points.
But his last basket came with more than six minutes left, as he cleared the stage for his two marquee teammates.
``It's just a matter of time with their guys,'' Virginia Tech coach Bill Foster said. ``You're not going to hold them down the whole game. When you boil it down, they shot the ball too well.
``That's the first time in 17 games anybody shot 50 percent against us. And they weren't gimmies.''
Yet North Carolina led by only 37-36 at the half, as the Hokies battled back from a 20-11 deficit after nine minutes.
The Tar Heels turned the ball over five times in their next six trips to open the door for Virginia Tech.
When guard Shawn Good followed by scoring 10 points in a row, the Hokies were up by two, 31-29, with 4:37 left in the half.
But neither Ace Custis, with 19 points, Damon Watlington with 15 nor Travis Jackson with a season-high 12 could erase the trouble Smith had with Wallace. ILLUSTRATION: Photo
ASSOCIATED PRESS
North Carolina's Rasheed Wallace, right, tips the ball away from Ace
Custis of Virginia Tech during the Tar Heels' 87-76 win.
by CNB