Back In 1980, UNC Played 3 ACC Games In 5 Days, Too
North Carolina’s current stretch of three scheduled ACC games in five days isn’t unprecedented for the program. It happened 38 years ago, too.
On Thursday, the Tar Heels defeated Duke at the Smith Center and Saturday they won at N.C. State. Tonight, they host Notre Dame for their third ACC game in five days.
It happened in 1980, as well. In fact, in 1991, the Tar Heels played three conference games in four days, but it wasn’t scheduled that way.
Due to the start of the Gulf War, the first UNC-N.C. State game was postponed and later scheduled for the day after the teams met on Feb. 6 in Raleigh. They played the next night in Chapel Hill – the teams split the two games – and on Feb. 9, the Tar Heels defeated Virginia at the Smith Center.
In 1980, however, the league’s schedule makers forced Dean Smith’s Tar Heels to play three ACC games in five days. Two of the games were also against Duke and State.
Game 1
Like the current stretch the Tar Heels are in, the one in 1980 also started with a game against Duke. The differences, however, are that the game 38 years ago was played at Cameron Indoor Stadium and the Blue Devils were ranked No. 1 in the nation.
Carolina was ranked 15th going into the game, but Al Wood’s 20 points and senior guard Dave Colescott’s 18 helped the Tar Heels pull away for the big victory.
UNC used a 9-0 run midway through the first half to take a 23-18 lead and never trailed again. The Tar Heels sank 30 of 37 free throws and got 8 points from a freshman forward named James Worthy.
Game 2
Two days later, on Jan. 14, the Heels played an ACC "home" game versus league newcomer Georgia Tech at the Greensboro Coliseum. tech, by the way, finished that season 1-13 in the ACC and 8-18 overall.
Carolina wasn’t sharp and survived after a Tech player missed a jump shot at the buzzer that would have won the game had it gone in.
UNC used a 12-0 run in the first half to build a lead it wouldn’t give up, though Tech came within a point at 48-47 late in the second half. The Yellow Jackets converted 62.9 percent of their shot attempts in a low possession game.
Wood and Mike O’Koren led UNC with 11 points each.
Game 3
UNC concluded the stretch by hosting No. 16 N.C. State in Carmichael Auditorium on Jan. 16. The Heels made a 3-point halftime lead in the back-and-forth game stand up by not letting any Wolfpack player other than Hawkeye Whitney go off.
Whitney, an All-ACC performer, scored 28 points on the night, but no other State player reached double figures.
The Tar Heels, on the other hand, had four players in double figures led by Wood with 15 points, Mike O’Koren with 14 and Worthy with 13.
Carolina assisted on 19 of 28 field goals that night.
Three games in five nights by design, and the Heels went 3-0. They will attempt to match that feat Monday night versus the Fighting Irish.