The Cavalier daily :: Tuesday, March 12, 1968 :: University of Virginia Library

Travelling to Charlotte last Thursday, Cavalier Daily sports editor John
Marshall and staff writer Ted McKean covered the entire tournament and
wrote all the articles on this page.

N.C. STATE 63, MARYLAND 54-Led by Eddie Biedenbach
and Vann Williford, the North Carolina State Wolfpack traipsed
past the cold Terps of Maryland with relative ease, 63-54.

The Pack never seemed in danger of losing, but merely had
trouble building up a safe cushion to coast on until the game's
last five minutes. If State's floorplay was not outstanding, with its
16 turnovers, Maryland's was worse, due for the most part to a
sickly field goal percentage of 31.7.

Maryland closed the gap to 38-37 with 12:14 left, but quick
scores by Bill Mavaredes and Biedenbach insured that the Terps
would have plenty of time to get back for Friday classes in College
Park.

DUKE 43, CLEMSON 40-Lacking the height, rebounding strength,
and scoring power of other conference teams, and with a 4-19
season record to prove it, Clemson coach Bobby Roberts knew he
would have to spring a great surprise on Vic Bubas' Duke Blue
Devils to keep from getting run off the court.

Robert's surprise: the slowdown. Duke was visibly shaken which
made Clemson scrap all the harder. At the half, Duke led by 2119
and the Tigers remained in the game throughout, only to lose
in the final eight seconds, 43-40.

NORTH CAROLINA 83, WAKE FOREST 70 Jack McCloskey's
Demon Deacons held their devilish own through the first 15 minutes
of their contest with North Carolina, but they, like so many others,
soon succumbed to the Carolina clean machine, 83-70.

The machine's power came primarily from the hot hand of All-America
Larry Miller, who poured in 31 points, 21 in the first
half. Miller's brute strength under the boards, coupled with a deft
outside touch (59% from the floor) kept the fans in continual orgasmic
amazement.

SOUTH CAROLINA 101, VIRGINIA 78- To better the first
round performance of the South Carolina Gamecocks, Thursday
night, the Virginia quintet would have had to play like Cougars
or Bruins. Or, at the very least, like the Tar Heels. But hustle as
they did, Bill Gibson's Cavaliers still ended up playing like Bill
Gibson's Cavaliers. And against a team that is popping shots through
the hoop at 59.9%, that simply is not good enough.

South Carolina's torrid shooting exhibition-thirty foot jumpers
were not uncommon-prompted varied post game comments. Bill
Gibson remarked, "We ran into a buzz saw." Though somewhat
less poetic, Mr. Horace Carmichael expressed his feelings just as
well. Virginia's most famous fan, owner-originator of the infamous
machine gun-rapid, high pitched whistle, said simply, "It grossed
me out."

NORTH CAROLINA 82, SOUTH CAROLINA 79-Under intense
long range bombardment by South Carolina, Dean Smith's Tar
Heels nevertheless maintained their cool and pulled out an 82-79
overtime victory. South Carolina's Jack Thompson and Skip Harlicka,
probably the best duo of guards in the ACC, bombed from
30 foot range while bounder Gary Gregor worked effectively from
inside and out to keep the Gamecocks in permanent touch with the
Tar Heels through the see-saw battle.

Harlicka carried his contingent, trading baskets with Charlie
Scott and Dick Grubar, until Carolina called time at 2:42 with the
score knotted at 74 all. Smith ordered the Tar Heels into a freeze
for the last shot, and the strategy worked-almost. With three seconds
left, cool-hand Miller found himself alone in the corner. His hurried
shot missed the rim completely, and the battle of the Carolinas
raged into overtime.

With the Gamecocks down 80-77 and 33 seconds left to play in
the overtime, Gregor drove through the middle, made a shot, and
was fouled by Gerald Tuttle. A heated argument followed, as the
referees disallowed the Gregor basket, claimed he was fouled
before the shot, and sent him to the line for a single shot. He
missed, Scott rebounded for the Heels, and Carolina walked off with
a shaky 82-79 victory in its back pocket.

N.C. STATE 12, DUKE 10-Norm Sloan's upstart Wolfpack
made a liar of Grantland Rice Friday night. Capitalizing on an Ice
Age stall to upset Duke 12-10, the Statemen proved once again
that it's not how you play the game that counts, but whether you
win. Especially in the ACC tournament.

Year in and year out, the Duke pride-or the Duke conceit-has
well served Vic Bubas and his Durham quintets. Yet Friday this
cool, gum-chewing arrogance proved to be the very undoing of the
Blue Devils. For when confronted with State's stall, Bubas chose to
lay back, to keep monster Mike Lewis under the bucket instead
of pulling him out to guard State's center Norm Kretzer who was
handling the ball out front.

Bubas' decision not to force State's hand was obviously founded
in his faith that Duke, the better team, would naturally persevere
and finish on the long end of the score. By this tactical error,
Bubas literally threw his team into the jaws of Sloan's hungry Wolves.

NORTH CAROLINA 87, N.C. STATE 50-Early Saturday evening
the weekend's first clouds started to cover the Charlotte sky.
The overcast accurately matched the emotions of many departing
for the championship game. The air was heavy with anti-climax.
For here was the best team in the tournament pitted against the
fourth best. Few people doubted a Tar Heel victory would result.

A basketball - fan-paying much more than 50 cents would have
kicked himself for not watching the game on the tube at home.
The game was a surprise only in overall poor quality of play. Dean
Smith's Tar Heels cashed in only a pitiful 34.5% of their shots in
the first half, yet held a 31-26 intermission advantage. In the first
ten minutes of the final period, an outburst of fast breaks gave the
Heels 21 points to 8 points for the Wolves, and the men in pale
blue coasted to the top trophy for the second straight year.

University of Virginia Library

ACC Basketball Tournament Action Reviewed

Seven Game Recap Traces UNC's Title

Battling Cavalier Center Norm Carmichael Stretches Full Length For Two; Mike Katos Controls Jump Ball

Seven Game Recap
Traces UNC's Title