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Volume XI, Number 25
The Student Newspaper of the University of North Carolina at Charlotte
Charlotte, North Carolina
March 16, 1976
hirst two wins over San Francisco and Oregon
49ERS FL YIN’ HIGH IN NIT
Carolina Journal photo by David Wagoner
Don Pearce (31) adds two for the 49ers against San Francisco.
MEAN GREEN
Carolina Journal photo by David Wagoner
By Ron Green
Before. UNCC's game in the NIT
against San Francisco, a man came up to
49er guard Bob Ball and wished him
luck. He said he wanted Ball’s team to
beat the team from North Carolina
because they didn’t deserve to be in the
tournament. They weren't good enough
and didn’t have any national recognition.
Ball replied that he played for UNCC and
the man walked away quickly.
The UNCC team that wasn't “good
enough” won a thriller in Madison
Square Garden Saturday night, beating
San Francisco 79-74 in overtime.
In the end the chances of the 49ers
rested on the shoulders of Kevin King,
the lanky freshman from Likewood , New
Jersey. Trailing 69-67, with 15 seconds
remaining, UNCC called time out to set
their final play. When Coach Lee Rose
asked who wanted to take the final shot,
the 6-6 freshman responded. UNCC got
the ball in play but had trouble getting it
to the open man.
Lew Massey finally spotted King at
the left side of the lane. King got the ball
with five seconds left, quickly spun to
the’basket and laid the ball in over two
Dons to send Jhe game into overtime.
The last-second basket sent the 450 fans
from UNCC wild with excitement and
provided tiie edge UNCC needed to win
the game in the extra five minutes.
The 49ers trailed through much of
the •overtime but went ahead ,to stay
when Melvin Watkins followed a Massey
miss with a minute remaining. Ahead
75-74, UNCC prohibited San Francisco
from scoring and regained possession
with 22 seconds remaining.On the inbound
play under the basket Cedric Maxwell,
who played a brilliant all-around game,
spotted Massey behind the San Francisco'
defense with a full-court pass for a
lay-up.
Massey iced the game with 8 seconds
to play when he made two foul shots to
make the score 79-74.
The UNCC victory ran their record
to 22-5 and put them in the quarter
finals against Oregon. The first half saw
the 49ers run up a seven point advantage
by intermission. King pulled down 7
rebounds in the opening 20 minutes to
help the 49ers control the boards against
Some of the 600 49er fans who flocked to Madison Square Garden to see UNCC in the NIT.
the much taller Dons.
When play started in the second half,
it was a different story. San Francisco
played much smoother and the 49ers
seemed to have a letdown. Alter four and
a half minutes the seven point UNCC
lead was gone and the score was tied at
43. Midway through the final half, San
Francisco liad opened up a seven point
lead and UNCC seemed in danger of a
quick departure from (heir first NIT.
UNCC battled back and regained the lead
61-60 when Don Pearce hit a short
jumper with seven minutes to play. San
Francisco retook the lead and led by
three points with less than a minute
remaining in regulation, but Skip
Shipman hit a jumper to make the score
68-67. San Francisco guard Sam
Williams, who was a tliorn in UNCC’s
side all night, was fouled. He made the
front end of the one-and-onc, but Kevin
King rebounded with 15 seconds
remaining to set up the last second
heroics.
UNCC vs. Oregon'
As the final second ticked off in
Madison Square Garden Monday nigiit,
UNCC fans were chanting “We want
State, we want State”. The 49ers will gel
NC State, but this time it won’t be in
Raleigh. It will be in the semi-finals of
the NIT in New York ('ily as a result ol
the 79-72 upset victory over Oregon in
the quarter finals Thursday niglil.
The victory over the Ducks was not
an easy one for UNCC. who has become
a Cinderella team in tlic oldest
post-season tournament in existence.
Oregon pul its explosive offense and
lightning quick defense into action early
and jumped ahead 18-9 after 10 minutes
of play. The 49crs seemed in danger of
being blown out early but they never lost
their cool in the face of the famed
Oregon “kamikaize” defense.
Trailing 28-19 with five minutes left
in the first half, UNCC came untracked
and outscored the Ducks 14-3 to lead
35-31 at irttermission. Lew Massey and
Melvin Watkins triggered the surge .
Massey scored 8 points and Watkins
scored 4 and forced several turnovers.
Watkins had the unenviable task of trying
to slop AH-American Ron Lee, a 6-4
guard who can do it all for the Ducks.
Lee could only manage 17 points for the
game as “Wat” smothered him with
outstanding defense.
When the second half opened, UNCC
picked up where they had left off at
intermission. They blit/cd Oregon 10-2
in the first three and a half minutes of
the second half to open a 43-35
advantage. The Ducks kept the margin
around 8 points for most of the final 20
minutes.
Maxwell’s play in the first two games
of the tournament has been phenomenal.
He scored 30 points and pulled down 14
rebounds against the Ducks to lead the
49ers in both categories. For the
tournament, he has scored 58 points
while hitting an amazing 26 of 29
freethrows.
The 49ers, 23-5, have caught the
fancy of New York writers and fans but
have not surprised themselves. Coach Lee
Rose said, “This is a great bunch of
individuals. Fi.ach knows his part. They
fill the pieces of the puzzle. Max scores,
Lew rebounds and the guards are
unselfish. We have a committment to
hustle and perseverence. We get down
and come back. We’ve done it all year.”
As he was walking out of the fabled
Gardens, Shipman pul things into
perspective. “That was Phase II of a
masterpiece.”