57 Since '57-March 12, 1957 -- NCAA Opening Round: No.1 North Carolina 90-Yale 74

The "subway Southerners" from Chapel Hill go home to New York City to take on the Elis as they begin their journey in the NCAA tournament.

Carolina Rallies To Defeat Yale In Cage Playoffs

Tar Heels Top Bulldogs 90-74

NEW YORK, March 12 (AP) --- North Carolina's Tar Heels down for nearly three quarters of the game, showed the stuff that made them the nation's No. 1 team this year by whipping Yale, 90-74 in a first round game of the NCAA tournament tonight. It was the 28th consecutive victory for North Carolina, the only unbeaten major college team this season.

Yale's red-headed Johnny Lee rivalled North Carolina's All-American Lennie Rosenbluth as the outstanding player to appear in tonight's three games at Madison Square Garden. It was Lee's sharp shooting that was the big factor in keeping Yale in front through most of the first half and getting the Elis back in contention after North Carolina had begun to move in the second half.

Syracuse and Canisius were the other winners in a triple header that drew the season's largest college basketball crowd, 16,589 into the Garden.

Syracuse rallied to beat Connecticut 82-76, and then Canisius outplayed lethargic West Virginia, the Southern Conference champion, 64-56.

Rosenbluth had the edge over Lee in their duel although he was benched for a while after committing his fourth personal foul. The tall Tar Heel scored 11 field goals and seven fouls for 29 points. In addition he did a superb rebounding job under both boards. Lee made 25 points before fouling out in the last minute.

North Carolina's "subway Southerners," whose entire starting lineup hails from the New York area, never lost their poise when they were threatened by an upset. They had to work hard to tie the score at 40-40 just at the end of the first half.

After Carolina did go ahead at the start of the second half, the scrappy Elis rallied to regain the lead three times. Bob Cunningham finally sent Carolina ahead for keeps in the ninth minute of the second half. Yale's aggressive defense proved costly in the long run as four of the five started fouled out in the closing minutes.

A three-point play by Lee halfway through the final half marked Yale's final threat. Carolina, bearing down harder, spurted into a 10 point lead, then increased its margin further after Rosenbluth returned to the game.

North Carolina now plays  Canisius in the Eastern Regional tournament at Philadelphia Friday, while Syracuse meets Lafayette, which drew a first round bye.

How It Happened

YALE           G  F     P   T

Lee, f.........8  9-9   5   25

Downs, f.......5  3-6   5   13

Baird, f.......0  0-0   3   0

Rodman, f......1  0-0   0   2

Robinson, f....7  6-9   5   20

Bab, c.........0  0-0   1   0

Sargent, g.....2  2-2   5   6

Thompson, g....3  0-0   3   6

Molumphu, g....1  0-1   1   2

   Totals      27 20-27 28  74

NORTH CAROLINA G  F     P   T

Rosenbluth, f..11 7-12  4   29

Brennan, f.....6  8-12  3   20

Young, f.......0  0-0   3   0

Quigg, c.......5  3-4   2   13

Cunningham, g..4  4-4   3   12

Kearns, g......5  6-9   3   16

   Totals      31 28-41 18  90

Yale..............40   31---74

North Carolina....40   50---90

[From Wilmington Morning Star, March 13, 1957]

McGuire Using Same Formula

By SHELDON SAKOWITZ

NEW YORK (AP) --- Coach Frank McGuire of North Carolina hopes his formula for success works as well in the NCAA basketball tournament as it did for him and his undefeated Tar Heels during the regular season.

The smiling Irishman from New York City plans to play each game in the NCAA "one at at time" after his team turned back Yale 90-74 in an Eastern regional first round game last night.

McGuire's victory formula worked to perfection during the regular campaign as the Tar Heels, voted the nation's No. 1 team in the final Associated Press poll, posted 27 consecutive triumphs. All-American Lennie Rosenbluth and company capped the season by winning the Atlantic Coast Conference championship and the NCAA tournament berth that goes with it.

Last night McGuire's "transplanted" New Yorkers extended their winning streak to 28, but the soft-spoken coach hopes that the Tar Heels "are looser in Philadelphia against Canisius Friday that they were against Yale."

McGuire said that the boys, most of whom come from the New York City area, were trying too hard before their friends and relatives. "Playing in New York is worse for us than playing in a strange city," said McGuire.

"The team was jittery and tight in the first half. We played poorly in the first 20 minutes, but of it had to do with Yale's pressing tactics."

North Carolina was behind most of the first half, but gained a 40-all deadlock at intermission. The game was tied six times in the second half before the Tar Heels pulled away for good with 11 minutes to go.

McGuire, watching Canisius outclass West Virginia and All-American Hot Rod Hundley, was impressed by the Golden Griffins from Buffalo. "They're a smart ball club," he said. "They like to hold the ball until the other team makes a mistake."

Rosenbluth, who was bottled up by NYU's box zone defense earlier in the season at the Garden, experienced a bit of trouble with the Elis' collapsing zone. Harried by two defenders most of the time, the 6-5 agile forward still managed to collect 29 points and 17 rebounds.

Johnny Lee kept Yale in contention with 25 points and Eddie Robinson added 20. Four of the starting Bulldogs fouled out.

"Before the game we knew nothing about Yale," Rosenbluth said. "No one ever saw them play. A few of us had seen Lee play in high school."

Lee, a 6-3 redhead with a variety of shots, played high school ball in Brooklyn. McGuire seemingly had the lithe junior all wrapped up for North Carolina, only to have Lee enroll at Yale.

Rosenbluth admitted  that he often is hindered when two men guard him. "It's not so much the front man that bothers me," he explained, "but it's the player who comes up behind me on my blind side to knock the ball away that gives me trouble."

Of Canisius, Rosenbluth said: "They really run on a fast break, and I like the way they hustle. They'll be tough for us to beat."

The Yale-North Carolina game was touch and go during the first half. The game was tied three times in the first six minutes, but three minutes later Rosenbluth's tap-in put the Heels in front 15-14 for the last time in the half.

[From The Wilmington News, March 13, 1957]

57 Since '57-March 8, 1957 -- ACC Tournament Semi-Final: No.1 North Carolina 61-Wake Forest 59

The All-American, who had the hot hand in the first round, had ice in his veins for the semifinals as he wills his undefeated team into the championship game.

Rosenbluth Clinches Win Over Deacs In Final Seconds. 61-59: Win Is 26th

Tar Heels, Gamecocks Meet In Finals Tonight

By LARRY CHEEK
Special To The Daily Tar Heel 

RALEIGH—All-America Lennie Rosenbluth sank a hook shot with 46 seconds left here last night and added a clinching free throw to give North Carolina's hard pressed Tar Heels a nerve shattering 61-59 win over the Wake Forest Demon Deacons.

The come from behind win moved the top seeded Tar Heels into the Atlantic Coast Conference Tournament finals against South Carolina tonight.

Carolina did it the hard way in racking up their fourth win of the year over Wake Forest. With only 55 seconds left in the pressure packed scrap, the Deacons led by one point, 59-58. With their hopes of qualifying for the NCAA playoffs faintly glimmering, the UNC cagers call on their high scoring captain in an effort to pull the game out.

Rosenbluth, calm as ice water with the end of UNC's -25 game game unbeaten streak apparently in sight, took a pass, drove in to- ward the foul line and connected on a sweeping hook shot to put the Tar Hels up by one. 60-59. Fouled on the play, he dropped in the charity toss to give the Tar Heels their final margin.

Carolina led all the way until Jim Gilley sank an important pair of free throws to put the Deacons ahead. After Wake had tallied the opening basket Rosenbluth hit two
in a row to make the score 4-2.

Carolina steadily increased their margin until they held an 11-point lead, 30-19 at the 4:19 mark. Wake Forest staged a spirited rally at this point and pulled within 4 points, 33-29, at intermission.

Wake closed to within 2 points at the beginning of the second half, but the Tar Heels managed to build their margin back up to 51-44 with 7:45 left. But the Deacons slowly began to narrow the margin with Jack Williams doing the damage.

With 1:57 to go, Carolina led by three, 58-55, but a field goal by Olin cut it to one. The Bob Cunningham was called for charging, and Gilley sank what could have been the game winning free throws.

But it was not to be as Lennie Rosenbluth hit what was perhaps the most important shot of his life. After Rosey scored, Wake guard Ernie Wiggins missed a game tying shot, and Joe Quigg got the rebound. Carolina froze the ball the rest of the way, and it was all over.

Although Carolina won the ball game, Wake Forest walked off with shooting percentage honors. The Deacons hit 21 of 40 shots for 52.5 per cent as compared to Carolina's 38.8.

Joe Quigg, Pete Brennan and Bob Cunningham did a terrific job on the backboards as UNC pulled down 45 rebounds compared to only 21 for Wake Forest.

Rosenbluth hit 23 points to take scoring honors for UNC, while Williams had 24 for the Deacons.


McGuire Still Nervous After Close Win Over Deacons

By BUZZ MERRITT
Special To The Daily Tar Heel

It was the second time in two nights that Lennie Rosenbluth had been the object of a backslapping, gladhanding attack.

The first time he had been hot-handed enough for an ACC tournament scoring record.

This time he exchanged the heat for ice water.

Minutes after he had hooked in a bucket and added a free toss to win UNC's way into the tourney finals, he sat in a happy dressing room and explained:

"Nah, you don't think about it. They're one ahead with 55 seconds left, then you get ahead by one. You can't think about the free throw."

Coach Frank McGuire had called time out between Lennie's bucket and the free toss. What'd they talk about?

"Coach just said to make it and we'd be two ahead and all they could do in the regulation game is tie it up," he simplified. McGuire was as shaken as it possible for the dapper Irishman. "You know, I couldn't even write my name on the way down here. A kid asked for an autograph and I couldn't write my name."

"We played about the same as in the other games with them. To beat a club like theirs, with Murdock, Gilley, Wiggins and the rest, four times in a season you have to have to go some. I don't even like to play them, one, but four times, whew!"

"We played poorly after we built up that early lead and let them catch up. But when you can lead them 11 points, then go behind with 55 seconds left and still win, you're a good ball club."

Somebody asked about defense, a man-to-man which was airtight in the opening minutes. McGuire called to Bob Cunningham.

"Tell 'em what I said about defense before the season, Bob."

Pupil Bob said, "You said if our defense improved we wouldn't lose a ball game."

Across the way Deacon Bones McKinney turned the text to boxing and preached a sermon on the evils inherent in meeting the champ.

"Remember the Louis-Walcott fights. You've got to knock out the Champion in order to win a decision. You can't win a decision from a Champion," the disappointed Bones almost whispered.

"I'll be glad to answer your questions but I don't have anything to say," the usually vocal Bones said.

"I will say that I'll be pulling for Carolina all the way. Frank is a fine coach and deserves anything he might get, including all the coach of the year awards."


[Both articles from The Daily Tar Heel, March 9, 1957]

57 Since '57-March 1, 1957 -- North Carolina 86-Duke 72

The record-setting Heels show a lot of heart and close out the regular season in a rough and tumble game at Duke, led by their All-American.

Heels Finish Regular Schedule Unbeaten With 86-72 Win Over Duke; 
Rosy Hits 40 To Lead Way

Twenty Four Straight for McGuire's Club

by LARRY CHEEK

Led by the almost unbelievable shooting of All-American Lennie Rosenbluth, North Carolina's courageous Tar Heels fought off an all-out effort by Duke's Blue Devils last night in Duke Indoor Stadium to take an 86-72 win, thus closing out their regular season with a string of 24 straight victories.

The win broke the all-time single season consecutive victory mark of 23 set by the 1924 Tar Heels. It also assured the UNC cagers of remaining atop the national ratings for at least one more week.

Rosenbluth was the fair-haired boy who broke the Blue Devil's backs. The slender senior poured in 40 points, most of them coming in the the game's early moments when they were badly needed.

The game was lifted straight from the pages of Frank Merriwell. Duke jumped to a 9-1 lead, fell 15 points behind at 37-22, trailed by 12 at half, 47-35, then forged back into the lead early in the second half.

With 4:10 to go, Coach Harold Bradley's inspired charges led, 70-69, and UNC fans looked a little down at the mouth. Then Rosenbluth put the Tar Heels  back on top with a field goal at the 3:45 mark, and the UNC cagers never trailed after that. With Pete Brennan, Joe Quigg, and Rosenbluth hitting, they quickly rolled up a 14 point final margin over the undermanned Blue Devils.

Duke, playing roughhouse ball all the way, paid the price in the final few moments when they were forced to combat the UNC stretch drive with five key men on the bench via the excessive personal foul route. Four were starters while the fifth was Jerry Robertson, a top reserve. The Blue Devils we called 35 times for fouling, while Carolina drew 23 penalties.

Each team had 25 field goals, but the Tar Heels sank 36 free throws compared to only 22 for Duke. UNC hit 25 of 60 for 41.7 per cent, while Duke had 25 of 74 for 36.4 per cent.

Things looked  dark for the Tar Heels in the game's early moments as Duke rolled up 7 straight points before the stiff Carolina cagers could connect. But when Lennie Rosenbluth began to find the range, it was "Go for Broke."

Rosenbluth rolled in 18 of his team's first 22 points to put the Tar Heels up 22-16. From there they stretched the margin to 12  at halftime. But in the second half . Bobby Joe Harris and Paul Schmidt began to hit and the Blue Devils finally took the lead at 59-58 with 10:25 left.

It was a see-saw battle from there until the 3:45 mark when Rosenbluth put the Tar Heels ahead to stay.

The Tar Heels played most of the second half with only one guard, Tommy Kearns, in the line-up. The other backcourt starter, Bob Cunningham, fouled out with 14 minutes remaining on the clock.

N. CAROLINA     G   F     P   T
Rosenbluth  f   12  12-22 4   40
Brennan  f      2   12-14 5   16
Rosemond  f     0   0-0   0   0
Young  f        3   0-0   3   6
Quigg  c        4   2-4   3   10
Cunningham  g   1   0-0   5   2
Lotz  g         0   3-7   1   3
Kearns  g       3   3-7   2   9
   TOTALS       25  36-54 23  86

DUKE            G   F     P   T
Robertson  f    4   0-1   5   8
Miller  f       1   0-2   2   2
Newcome  f      0   1-2   5   1
Barrett  f      1   0-1   2   2
Schmidt  f      3   11-12 5   17
Clement  f      2   1-2   5   5
Vernon  g       5   0-1   0   10
Watson  g       0   0-1   3   0
Harris  g       9   1-2   5   19
Allen  g        0   8-9   3   8
   TOTALS       25  22-33 35  72

NORTH CAROLINA  47--39---86
DUKE            35--37---72

[From The Daily Tar Heel, March 2, 1957]

'Somebody Will Knock Us Off;' But Nobody Did

By BILL KING

Coach Frank McGuire proved himself a poor prognosticator last night when his Carolina Tar Heels climaxed an unbeaten season with an 86-72 win over the Duke Blue Devils despite McGuire's constant warning throughout the season that "somebody will knock us off before the season is over."

Yet nobody could have been happier to be wrong than McGuire because as he stated last night following his teams's thrilling victory, "an unbeaten season--that's what the boys wanted. If we lose to Clemson or Virginia in the tournament, then we'll just watch the rest of it from the sidelines. We can relax a little now."

Over in one corner of the Carolina dressing room sat Lennie Rosenbluth, the greatest basketball player in Carolina history. Rosy dropped in 40 last night--"a pretty fair night for him," said McGuire.

"Hey, Lennie," the Tar Heel chieftain grinned, "have you been taking vitamin pills? You look like you're improving."

"Naw, coach," retorted bid Len. "I've been practicing."

Somebody was of the opinion that Rosenbluth had played better than ever in the  past four games. To this, McGuire retorted: "Lennie has been playing like that for three years."

McGuire was asked if he thought that the Blue Devils were as tough as Wake Forest Tuesday night. "They were definitely just as tough," he stated. "They wanted to knock us off mighty badly just like everybody else, and they fellows who subbed for the ones who fouled out were just as tough. That's the way it's been all year long."

The smiling Irishman was very happy as he remarked to nobody in particular, "they fooled me. I never thought they could go all the way."--but they did.

57 Since '57-February 26, 1957 -- North Carolina 69-Wake Forest 64

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.]