Syracuse vs North Carolina
Back
Civic Center, Providence, Rhode Island (NCAA East Regional Semi-Final)  
March 20, 1975  
Syracuse
78
Pos Player Min FG FGA 3FG 3FGA FT FTA Reb Asst TO Stl Blk Fls Pts
G
Jimmy Williams
39
9
11
-
-
1
2
0
4
4
2
0
4
19
G
Jimmy Lee
40
12
18
-
-
0
0
0
0
5
1
0
3
24
C
Earnie Seibert
26
3
9
-
-
0
0
9
2
3
0
0
2
6
F
Chris Sease
37
4
8
-
-
2
4
6
1
3
0
1
2
10
F
Rudy Hackett
31
3
7
-
-
0
0
1
2
4
0
0
3
6
-
Ross Kindel
2
0
0
-
-
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
-
Kevin King
23
4
7
-
-
4
6
2
0
2
1
1
5
12
-
Bob Parker
2
0
0
-
-
1
2
0
0
0
0
0
0
1
Syracuse Total
200
35
60
-
-
8
14
18
9
21
4
2
29
78
North Carolina
76
Pos Player Min FG FGA 3FG 3FGA FT FTA Reb Asst TO Stl Blk Fls Pts
G
Phil Ford
37
7
10
-
-
10
10
1
5
5
1
0
4
24
G
Brad Hoffman
36
10
12
-
-
0
0
1
2
4
1
0
1
20
C
Tom LaGarde
31
5
6
-
-
2
2
7
0
3
0
0
1
12
F
Walter Davis
27
2
4
-
-
0
0
2
1
3
0
1
5
4
F
Mitch Kupchak
37
6
11
-
-
0
0
8
2
5
0
3
3
12
-
John Kuester
9
0
1
-
-
0
0
0
1
3
0
0
1
0
-
Mickey Bell
8
0
0
-
-
0
1
1
0
1
0
0
0
0
-
Ed Stahl
7
2
4
-
-
0
0
1
0
0
0
0
1
4
-
Bruce Buckley
3
0
0
-
-
0
2
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
-
Dave Hanners
2
0
0
-
-
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
1
0
-
Bill Chambers
2
0
1
-
-
0
0
0
0
1
0
0
1
0
-
Tom Zaliagiris
1
0
0
-
-
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
 
North Carolina Total
200
32
49
-
-
12
15
21
11
25
2
4
18
76
Attendence -

Comments:

Syracuse would play 6th ranked North Carolina in the second round of the 1975 NCAA tournament. Both teams would shoot very well in the game, with the Orangemen making 58% of their shots, and the Tar Heels 65%. Syracuse was able to stay close in the first half of the game due to Jimmy Lee's outstanding perimeter shooting. North Carolina ran to a nine point lead with seven minutes to go in the first half behind a hot series by Phil Ford and Brad Hoffman. But Syracuse was able to respond a run right before the half to trim the Carolina lead to 42-41 at the half. Syracuse star Rudy Hackett was double teamed, and held scoreless in the first half; he also had to sit six minutes after his third foul in the half.

In the second half the Orangemen would take the lead 59-54. Hoffman continued his hot shooting and Carolina retook the lead. Both teams started relying on the perimeter shooting of their guads, and the hot shooting players obliged by making most their shots. The Tar Heels went into their famed four corner offense with three minutes to go.

Carolina was leading 76-75 when Phil Ford through the ball out of bounds, giving Syracuse the ball with 27 seconds remaining. Syracuse called a timeout and designed a play to get the ball to Rudy Hackett. Jimmy Lee worked the ball down to Hackett, and four Tar Heel defenders collapsed on him. Hackett kicked the ball back out to Lee, who would hit fifteen foot jumper with three seconds left to give the Orangemen 77-76 lead. North Carolina tried to get the ball to Mickey Bell but the ball went off his fingertips and out of bounds. The Tar Heels fouled Jimmy Williams in desperation on the in-bounds pass with two seconds remaining. Williams would make the first free throw, and the second bounced off the rim as time expired.

© RLYoung 2019

[1] Syracuse Post Standard, March 21, 1975