THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Saturday, February 4, 1995 TAG: 9502040423
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C4 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY FRANK VEHORN, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: DURHAM, N.C. LENGTH: Long : 114 lines
In a game of big plays, none was bigger in North Carolina's 102-100 double-overtime victory over Duke on Thursday than the one by Jeff McInnis.
Too bad, though, most fans watching in Cameron Indoor Stadium or on television never saw it.
The Tar Heels' Donald Williams had just hit a jump shot for a 100-98 lead in the second overtime when McInnis, virtually unnoticed by Duke and everyone else, swiped an inbounds pass to make a quick layup for a four-point lead.
UNC coach Dean Smith thought he saw the play. But he looked at the scoreboard clock and McInnis' goal was not registered. It still showed UNC ahead, 100-98, several seconds later.
``I thought I must have dreamed it,'' Smith said. ``But it had happened so fast the clock operator missed it.''
McInnis' goal proved decisive when Duke freshman Ricky Price popped in a jump shot with 38 seconds left.
The Blue Devils muffed two other scoring opportunities in the closing seconds to remain winless (0-8) in the ACC and fall to .500 on the season (10-10) after a 9-2 start.
McInnis said his big play was no fluke. A couple of plays earlier he had noticed Duke's Greg Newton being careless with his inbounds pass.
So, after Williams' goal he set a trap for Newton, who passed right into it.
``I pretended to go down the floor but snuck right in,'' McInnis said, ``and he (Newton) threw the ball right to me. I just put it in for a layup.''
Before that, Duke sophomore Jeff Capel seemed to be wearing the hero's cape.
He fueled a mighty Duke comeback in the first overtime session as the Blue Devils came from eight points behind to tie in the final 16 seconds.
Capel hit a driving layup with five seconds left and quickly fouled UNC's Serge Zwikker, who missed both of his free throws.
Capel sank a 35-footer at the buzzer to send the game into the second overtime.
``It was a great game, but unfortunately we didn't win it,'' said Capel, who fouled out early in the second overtime.
Duke previously had lost Erik Meek to fouls at 1:51 in regulation, which was the reason Newton was playing in the overtimes.
UNC was without center Rasheed Wallace for both overtimes, which explained why Zwikker was on the court to miss the free throws.
Wallace and Jerry Stackhouse each scored 25 points for the Tar Heels, who remained in a tie with Maryland for first place in the ACC standings. UNC and Maryland play Tuesday night in College Park, Md.
Williams had 24 points for UNC, including key back-to-back baskets in the second overtime. Stackhouse added 11 rebounds and McInnis had 10 assists. Cherokee Parks led Duke with 25 points and 13 rebounds.
While McInnis' steal and layup was the decisive play, Stackhouse pulled off the most spectacular goal in the first half when he sailed past Cherokee Parks, who fouled him, and then past Meek for a reverse dunk.
``I have seen one other person do that, but he's not playing any more,'' said UNC sports information director Rick Brewer, referring to former Tar Heel Michael Jordan.
That slam gave UNC a 26-9 lead, but Duke rallied - holding the Tar Heels to one field goal the final 7:08 of the first half to trail, 34-29, at intermission.
The Blue Devils led most of the second half. They were ahead by 12 at 68-56 with 9:56 to go, and went up, 70-61, with 6:18 remaining before UNC came back to lead, 81-79, with 1:24 left.
Parks sent the game into the first overtime with two free throws.
``It really is a shame either team had to lose,'' Stackhouse said. ``I am just glad it wasn't us.''
In their last two games, the Blue Devils lost to fifth-ranked Maryland by two points on the road, and by the same margin in double overtime to UNC. Earlier, they held a 23-point lead over Virginia before losing in double overtime.
``We have the confidence we can play with anyone,'' Capel said.
In today's ACC games:
The Blue Devils begin their second run through the ACC in a game at Clemson.
UNC is at home against North Carolina State, which gave the Tar Heels their only league loss in January.
Virginia is at home against Florida State, a team the Cavaliers beat, 81-75, last month in Tallahassee, Fla.
Maryland takes its six-game winning streak to Atlanta to play Georgia Tech, which has won 10 of the last 12 games in the series. ILLUSTRATION: ASSOCIATED PRESS
UNC's Clyde Lynn, left, goes airborne near the end of a 102-100
victory over Duke on Thursday.
DUKE'S COMEBACK
In one of the more legendary comebacks in college basketball
lore, North Carolina erased an eight-point deficit with 17 seconds
to go during a 1974 game against Duke in Chapel Hill. The Tar Heels
tied the game in regulation, and won in overtime.
Thursday night, Duke came back from eight points down in the
final 16 seconds of the first overtime against North Carolina to tie
the game and sent it to double overtime. Here's how the Blue Devils
did it:
28 seconds left: Duke's Jeff Capel fouls Dante Calabria, who
makes both free throws. UNC 94, Duke 86.
16 seconds: Duke's Trajan Langdon hits a 3-pointer. UNC 94, Duke
89.
15 seconds: Duke's Ricky Price fouls Jeff McInnis, who hits first
free throw and misses second. UNC 95, Duke 89.
Five seconds: Capel hits driving layup, is fouled by Landry and
makes free throw. UNC 95, Duke 92.
Four seconds: Capel fouls Serge Zwikker, who misses both free
throws.
One second: Capel hits towering 35-foot 3-pointer. UNC 95, Duke
95.
by CNB