University of Virginia Library

Purdue Whips North Carolina

By Hugh Antrim
Cavalier Daily Staff Writer

Behind a blistering 36-point
performance from Rick Mount, the
Purdue Boilermakers outdefensed,
outshot, and simply outplayed a
shaky North Carolina team to the
tune of a 92-65 whipping.

The Tar Heels appeared never to
find the composure necessary to
organize a successful means of
coping with the high flying Mount,
nor an effective attack to cool off a
tough Purdue man-to-man defense.
Carolina committed a countless
number of ball handling errors and
could seldom find the range when
they had the ball and a shot at the
same time.

Over 17,000 people jammed
into Louisville's Freedom Hall to
see North Carolina pull to within
three points some three minutes
gone into the second half. Bill
Bunting sank a free throw to put
Carolina down by a 44-41 count,
but the Tar Heels could manage but
five more points in the next eight
minutes, allowing the Boilermakers
to run away with the contest

The lead changed hands several
times in the early moments of the
first half. Numerous turnovers from
both sides prevented a cohesive
attack from either. With the score
6-6, the Tar Heels had accounted
for four miscues, and Purdue three.

But little 5-10 guard Bill Keller
scored six of Purdue's next seven
points, and Rick Mount threw in a
couple of timely baskets to up the
count, 16-10, with 12:26 left in the
first half. Herb Gilliam was doing a
magnificent job on Carolina's Charly
Scott, and with about 12
minutes on the clock, the Tar Heels
had totalled just three field goals in
the game. Bill Bunting and Rusty
Clark fought to pick up the slack,
but a combination of Mount and
Keller buckets provided Purdue
with a 26-18 margin with some
eight minutes to go.

Boilermaker Coach George King
called for a 2-3 zone with 6:30 on
the scoreboard, and Carolina came
storming back, utilizing a fast break
that had previously been rendered
impotent from errant ball handling.
Three baskets by Bill Bunting and
one more from Clark put Carolina
down by only four, 35-31.

Rick Mount hung on for Purdue
and traded buckets with Charly
Scott to close out the half at 39-35.
Scott, except for an occasional
driving layup, was held at bay from
the outside by the Boilermaker 2-3
zone.

A personal battle between
Mount and Bunting ensued the
second half tip-off. Six straight
Carolina points from Bunting kept
the Tar Heels at striking distance,
44-41. This was as close as North
Carolina was to come, however.

By the time the Tar Heels had
amassed five additional points,
Mount and Keller had led the
purple-clad Boilermakers to 24
more points, and as a result North
Carolina found themselves out of
contention at 68-46 with only 9:52
left in the game. Coach Dean Smith
could come up with no remedy for
the faltering ACC champs. A
high-powered man-to-man Purdue
defense provoked more turnovers,
and Charly Scott was ice cold from
the floor.

A Tar Heel press did little to
fluster the quicker Boilermakers,

who kept up their run and shoot
paced offense. Mount was shooting
at will, and Keller used his speed
and reflexes to hinder Carolina's
last gasp fast break and pressing
defense.

Purdue increased the lead to
84-59 with less than five minutes
on the clock, and Rick Mount
bowed out of the game with 36
points and a 88-61 advantage with
2:30 left. A final reading of 92-65
whisked the Purdue Boilermakers
into Saturday's ultimate test of
basketball - Lew Alcindor and the
UCLA Bruins.