THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Monday, March 18, 1996 TAG: 9603180141
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C1 EDITION: FINAL
TYPE: Column
SOURCE: Bob Molinaro
DATELINE: RICHMOND LENGTH: Medium: 79 lines
The dunk? The shattered backboard?
``It wasn't nothing but two points,'' North Carolina freshman Antawn Jamison said.
That's how the box score will show it. Stats don't take into account symbolism, though.
The box score won't reveal that when Texas Tech drew first blood Sunday, it just happened to be real blood.
A minor gash to Jamison's arm and a small cut on Serge Zwikker's hand account for the medical damage done to the Tar Heels by the flying glass, a phenomenon created by the flying Darvin Ham.
``A Ham jam,'' said the Texas Tech forward. ``I was like, man! I just wanted to flex.''
He had plenty of time for that. About 29 minutes. That's how long it took Richmond Coliseum officials to clean up the damage and wheel out a new backboard.
By then, the replay of Ham's slamwich probably had already been inducted into the highlight Hall of Fame.
``First thing that went through my mind,'' said Jason Sasser, whose missed hook shot made Ham's resounding rebound necessary, ``was ESPY.''
When play resumed, Jamison's bicep was bandaged. The score was tied, but Texas Tech ran off 10 points in a row. This time, North Carolina was unable to stop the bleeding.
``When we came out again,'' said Jamison, ``they were a lot looser than we were.''
Not that anybody in Carolina blue attributed their shattered tournament aspirations to a hole in the backboard. Not after a 19-point defeat.
Considered suspect by snobby Easterners, despite its 29-1 record, Texas Tech was supposed to be vulnerable in this second-round NCAA tournament game, even to a North Carolina team short of its usual complement of high school All-Americans.
Clearly, people underestimated Tech's talent and poise.
``I could just tell we were going to play big,'' said Ham.
Big? All Ham did was go 7 for 7 from the field.
Big? Sasser, the team's leading scorer, hit 10 of 13 shots, including four from 3-point range.
``Any time a team plays you a zone,'' Sasser said, ``you can get good looks by moving the ball side to side.''
Said Jamison: ``They found the open spots and shot well.'' Defending against the 3-pointer, he added, ``is something we never got worked out this year.''
Normally, teams play the first half of these tournament games just to sell TV advertising.
The second half is for adjustments and comebacks and high-wire theatrics. According to the TV magpies, every team ``makes a run.''
Make that almost every team.
After trailing by 12 at the half, North Carolina quickly ran into another Texas tornado of treys.
When Sasser sunk his team's 12th and final 3-pointer with 12:14 remaining, Tech led by 25. Jamison, who lost Sasser in a maze of picks on the play, held out his arms and shot a frustrated look at his bench.
``I just felt somebody should have been out there helping me pick him up,'' he said.
Two years ago in Landover, Md., the Tar Heels were stunned and angry after being toppled by Boston College in the second round. That North Carolina team was supposed to go to the Final Four.
Sunday's loss shouldn't produce a letdown of such seismic proportions. After all, this was a season in which the Tar Heels flirted now and then with relative mediocrity.
North Carolina departs the tournament disappointed. But this time, only the backboard was shattered. ILLUSTRATION: ASSOCIATED PRESS
Darvin Ham of Texas Tech shatters the backboard. ``A Ham jam,'' he
said. ``I was like, man! I just wanted to flex.''
by CNB