DATE: Sunday, March 16, 1997                TAG: 9703160168

SECTION: SPORTS                  PAGE: C1   EDITION: FINAL 

SOURCE: BY ED MILLER, STAFF WRITER 

DATELINE: WINSTON-SALEM, N.C.               LENGTH:   76 lines

HEELS MAKE HISTORY FOR SMITH COTA, JAMISON LEAD AS DEAN GETS WIN 877

Adolph Rupp never had a chance.

Because the Colorado Buffaloes, trying to hold back history and keep Rupp's record for career coaching victories alive, never had a chance.

The Buffaloes had the weight of decades of North Carolina tradition and a heavily partisan crowd against them Saturday afternoon - not to mention a white-hot Tar Heels squad.

Colorado was standing in history's path, and it was flattened in an NCAA tournament second-round game at Lawrence Joel Coliseum. North Carolina beat the Buffaloes 73-56 to give to coach Dean Smith his 877th career victory and make him college basketball's winningest coach.

The full impact of the afternoon came crashing down on Colorado in a second half that turned into a coronation for Smith, who has one more coaching victory than Rupp, the University of Kentucky legend.

``I'm one of the luckiest guys in the world to be at Chapel Hill, and be a coach there,'' Smith said.

The win puts North Carolina (26-6) into the NCAA final 16 for the 21st time in Smith's 36-year career, and for the 15th time in the last 17 years. The Tar Heels, who have won 14 straight, will face California (23-8) Friday in Syracuse, N.Y.

But advancing in the NCAA tournament seemed almost an afterthought on a day when UNC players from four decades came back to fete the 66-year-old Smith.

``They all share in this moment if there is such a thing as this moment,'' Smith said.

Smith, who until Saturday had refused to discuss the record, took pains to share the credit. He began by thanking the university, and its administration, and then named every one of his assistant coaches.

``I can't name all the players,'' he said. ``I could, but it would take a while.''

The two most responsible for Smith's latest victory were forward Antawn Jamison and point guard Ed Cota. The 6-foot-9 Jamison scored 19 points and grabbed 16 rebounds. Cota, a freshman, had 16 points - 10 in the second half - and five assists.

Colorado (22-10) led 31-30 at halftime but UNC opened with a 28-12 run. The frustrated Buffaloes put the Tar Heels on the foul line 23 times in the half, and shot just 35 percent.

Cota set the tone early in the second half with a stretch in which he hit a 3-pointer, set up Jamison with a perfect alley-oop pass, then hit another trey. His 3-pointer with 13:18 left gave UNC a 48-39 lead. After a layup by center Serge Zwikker, Colorado never got the lead under 10 again.

Colorado settled mainly for jump shots, especially in the second half. Chauncey Billups, the Buffaloes' All-American guard, was just 1 of 9 on 3-pointers and finished with 11 points, eight below his average.

The Tar Heels took advantage, and converted Colorado misses into fast-break baskets repeatedly in a second half in which they shot 63 percent.

Looking on were Sam Perkins, George Karl, Mitch Kupchak, Bobby Jones and two dozen other former Tar Heels.

``I didn't dream they were all coming back,'' Smith said. ``I don't know how they all got tickets.''

``Family'' was the theme, with emphasis on the line that runs unbroken from old-timers like Billy Cunningham (Class of '65) to newcomers like Cota (Class of 2000).

Joining them all together is Smith, the fussy, self-effacing coach with the trademark nasal voice and, it seems, total recall of every detail of every one of his 36 seasons.

And every one of the more than 200 lettermen he has coached.

A few years ago, Smith threatened to retire before he reached the record, lest he be accused of seeking it.

``It had never been a goal of mine, it hasn't been at any point,'' he said. ``I'm not that type of goal-oriented. We've won 26 games now, we'd like to win 27. That's my goal.'' ILLUSTRATION: Photo

ASSOCIATED PRESS

Dean Smith, here huddling with this year's Tar Heels, was

congratulated by many former players after beating Colorado on

Saturday.

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