THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Wednesday, March 1, 1995 TAG: 9503010626
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C1 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY FRANK VEHORN, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: CHAPEL HILL, N.C. LENGTH: Medium: 85 lines
The jersey retirement ceremony Wake Forest has planned for guard Randolph Childress on Saturday hardly can be more emotional than the impromptu party Childress threw Tuesday night.
As the final seconds clicked down on the Deacons' first-ever victory in the Smith Center over North Carolina, Childress stripped his sweaty No. 22 jersey from his body and began waving it wildly.
``This is the biggest win of my career for a lot of reasons,'' Childress said following the 79-70 victory that had ramifications as far away as Charlottesville.
``What a way to retire my jersey in the Dean Dome!''
The outcome left Maryland (11-3) on top of the ACC standings by a half-game.
Virginia, Wake Forest, and North Carolina are tied for second-place with 11-4 league records.
Maryland can clinch the title by winning its final two games, at Duke tonight and at Virginia on Sunday.
But if Maryland beats Duke and loses at Virginia, all four teams could finish tied for first place provided the Deacons beat North Carolina State and North Carolina defeats Duke in their final games.
Childress, a 6-foot-2 senior, played a near perfect game to keep the Deacons in contention for their first ACC title since 1962.
He was 8 for 10 from the field, 4 for 5 from 3-point land, to finish with 26 points.
If that performance and the Deacons' first win in this college town since 1982 were not special enough, Childress also got the autograph of new Toronto Raptors general manager Isiah Thomas before running off the court.
``When I learned he was here, I knew I wasn't leaving without an autograph. He's always been my hero,'' Childress said.
Childress also was in a hurry to call one his former prep school coaches, Kevin Sutton.
``He told me before I left Flint Hill five years ago I would never be a great player unless I won a game in the Dean Dome,'' Childress said.
``I don't know if this makes me a great player or not, but I am pretty good.''
As great as Childress was on this evening, he had to share the spotlight with Wake Forest center Tim Duncan, who had 25 points and 12 rebounds.
Duncan's best contribution, though, was on defense against UNC's Rasheed Wallace, who failed to make a field goal in three attempts and finished with only four free throws and seven rebounds.
``Duncan is one of the best players in the nation, and I think what he did speaks for itself,'' Childress said.
Wallace spent the final 5:33 of the first half on the bench after fouling Childress with an elbow in the mouth.
North Carolina trailed, 28-21, at the time but took the lead, 29-28, before the Deacons regained it for keeps on Duncan's goal at 2:35.
``I could tell he (Wallace) was getting frustrated, and we needed someone to step up,'' said North Carolina's Jerry Stackhouse, who scored 26 points to cap a day in which he was named college player of the year by Sports Illustrated. ``I tried, but it just wasn't enough.''
Wallace admitted he got frustrated, both by the fouls and not getting the ball when he wanted it.
``Those things happen,'' Wallace shrugged. ``You can't win every game.''
Stackhouse admitted he expected the Deacons would make mistakes in the stretch, again, as they had done last month in Winston-Salem to blow a 10-point lead in the final five minutes and lose, 62-61.
``I thought they were going to fold, the way they always do, but they didn't this time,'' he said. ``They played a great game.''
After leading by 12 midway through the final half, though, the Deacons watched the Tar Heels close to 70-67 at 2:06 before Duncan's field goal and two free throws by Childress provided a 74-67 lead with 42 seconds remaining.
``We had given away wins to them (UNC) before, but I was determined it wasn't going to happen this time,'' Childress said.
``It didn't matter what they did, we were not going to lose this one.''
The victory pushed the Deacons' overall record to 20-5, their best since 1981. The 11-4 league record is their best since 1963. ILLUSTRATION: Color photo
ASSOCIATED PRESS
Rasheed Wallace of North Carolina was held without a field goal and
had only four free throws and seven rebounds.
by CNB