On February 26, 1957, the last team to win a game against the Tar Heels on the hardwood welcomed them to their gym in hopes of ending UNC's undefeated season...and their own frustration. Then lightning struck.
First, we have a preview of the contest, then game reports. We continue our series looking back at the 1957 National Champions, 57 years ago.
How About Deacs, Duke?
'The Pressure's Off' Happy McGuire Claims
By The Associate Press
"The pressure's off," says Coach Frank McGuire of the unbeaten North Carolina basketball team.
Although he has a lot of respect for Wake Forest, host to the nationally top-ranked Tar Heels in an Atlantic Coast Conference game tonight, McGuire says his team already has done what it most wanted to do this season--win the ACC regular season title, and cop more than 18 games. The club has a 22-0 over-all record, 12 wins in the conference.
The team long since has cinched the regular season title--the crown ultimately will go to the school which wins the ACC tournament in Raleigh next week.
The Demon Deacons, who lost 72-69 at Chapel Hill two weeks ago, will be at full strength tonight, protecting a record of nine victories against only one defeat at home. Over-all, Wake Forest is 18-6 and has a 7-5 conference record.
Four Deacon starters will be playing their last home game--guards Jackie Murdock and Ernie Wiggins, center Jim Gilley and forward Jack Williams. Williams has a 16-point per game average to lead the team, while Murdock has 15.1, Wiggins 13.3 and Gilley 13.1. Fillling out the starting squad will be junior Wendell Carr.
North Carolina, on the other hand, has temporarily lost it 6-9 center, Joe Quigg, who became ill with a virus Friday. Coach McGuire said Bob Young, Danny Lotz and Ken Rosemond would be expected to fill the gap.
[from The Wilmington News, February 26, 1957]
Tar Heels Stage Last-Minute Finish to Get Win 23 Over Scrappy Deacons, 69-64
Kearns, Rosy, And Brennan Combine To Assure Carolina Win
By LARRY CHEEK
Special to The Daily Tar Heel
WINSTON-SALEM---Carolina's wonderful Tar Heels staged another miracle finish here last night as they came roaring from behind in the last minute of play to whip the Wake Forest Demon Deacons, 69-64. in a pressure-packed ACC thriller played before 8.200 howling fans in Memorial Coliseum.
The win. achieved in the face of almost insurmountable odds, was UNC's 23rd of the season without a loss, and kept them snugly in their place as the nation's number one team.
With one minute to go in the free-swinging donnybrook. Wake Forest led, 64-63. But then with forty six seconds to go, sure-fingered Lennie Rosenbluth was fouled while attempting a shot. Lennie. never calmer, pushed in both free throws to give the Tar Heels a one point margin. 65-64.
Wake put the ball in play, but UNC guard Bob Cunningham stole a pass and flipped to Peter Brennan who was fouled. Brennan sank one to make the score 66-64. Then a few moments later, Cunningham tossed a long pass to Tommy Kearns for an easy snowbird. Fouled on the play, Kearns added the free throw, then the final score read, UNC 69, Wake Forest 64.
Rosenbluth hit 10 of 15 from the floor and 10 of 12 from the line to accumulate 30 points. Brennan followed with 16.
The Tarheels, playing without the services of Joe Quigg, led at the intermission 33-32, but fell behind by eight points midway the second half. With Rosenbluth leading the way, they gradually pulled back into contention, and finally iced the game inn the dying seconds.
Wake Forest's chances for an upset received a severe jolt in the second half when starters Jack Williams and Wendell Carr fouled out. Carr went out with 9:29 left, while Williams bowed out with 9:38 remaining.
Carolina, also guilty of bad passes in the game's early moments, hit 19 of 38 shots from the floor for 50 per cent accuracy. The Deacons had 22 for 47.
[From The Daily Tar Heel, February 27, 1957]
These Victories Come With Perspiration
By BILL KING
Special To The Daily Tar Heel
WINSTON-SALEM, February 26, 1957
Different dressing room, same scene. Frank McGuire stood outside the Carolina dressing room last night wiping the perspiration from his face. His Tar Heels had chalked up number 23, but what a time they had doing it. "You know," McGuire said, "I was kissing that one goodbye for a while there."
The Tar Heels 69-64 win over the Wake Forest Demon Deacons was probably the sweetest of the season, although McGuire wouldn't admit it. As for being up for the Deacs, "we like to play Wake Forest, but we weren't especially up for it. They're all tough now," McGuire stated.
"If you think we weren't tense," said the Tar Heel mentor, "you should have seen the expression of the stands. That's really great for basketball when you can get entertainment like that for two bucks."
McGuire readily agreed that the loss of center Joe Quigg was a tremendous blow, but "the others (Rosemond, Young and Lotz) played a fine game. Our bench depth is pitiful," he continued. "Why we couldnn't scrimmage last night because we only had nine men." Asked about Quigg's condition, McGuire said that he was still pretty sick and "it's doubtful that he will play in the Duke game Friday."
The smiling freshman called Bob Cunningham, the unsung hero of our ball club, Bob has been play some great ball for us," he stated.
As for tension this is bound to grip a team that has won 23 straight, McGuire said, " the worst part is the waiting; I wish that we could play Duke tomorrow afternoon."
[From The Daily Tar Heel, February 27, 1957]
They Came Close
Deacons Again Lose To Carolina In Thriller
Ask the Wake Forest Demon Deacons. Like the two-dollar horse player who hopes to make a killing, it's sort of an obsession. He'd like to keep trying it from now to doomsday, but it keeps licking him.
In the Deacons' case, it's the Tar Heels who furnish the frustration. Three time this season now Wake Forest has come oh, so close to beating the nation's No. 1 basketball team, only to lose to is Atlantic Coast Conference rival by margins of 8, 3, and 5 points.
Last night, on their home court, the Deacons held a 64-63 lead over their chief rivals with 46 seconds left. Then -- something like the New York baseball Yankees and their seventh-inning lightning -- the Tar Heels struck to put it away. Lennie Rosenbluth hit on two free throws, Pete Brennan added a free throw and a field goal and Tommy Kearns a free throw. It was all over for Wake Forest.
For North Carolina, which salted away its 23rd win against no losses, Rosenbluth again was the big gun with 30 points. Brennan had 16 and Tommy Kearns 15. UNC meets Duke at Durham on Friday night, the remaining obstacle to an undefeated regular season for the Tar Heels.
Wake Forest was left with a 7-6 ACC record -- which dropped the Deacons to fourth place behind Duke -- and 18-7 over-all mark, and a consuming desire to get at North Carolina just once more in the ACC tourney at Raleigh next week.
Jackie Murdock topped Wake Forest with 15 points, while Ernie Wiggins and Jack Williams had 14 each.
[From Lexington Dispatch, Febraury 27, 1957.]
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