The most amazing comeback I have ever witnessed
- Thread starter Bandguy
- Start date
- Status
VirginiaHuguenot
Puritanboard Librarian
That was truly amazing! 
Being a fan of the North Carolina Tar Heels, I've witnessed a lot of incredible comebacks.
Here are a few:
FEBRUARY 10, 1983 UNC 64 VIRGINIA 63
UNC and Virginia were ranked 1-2 in the country for this big showdown game in the friendly confines of Carmichael Auditorium. This one was all Virginia for most of the game as Ralph Sampson was at his best in leading the Cavaliers to a sixteen point lead in the second half. Carolina was still down by ten with just over four minutes to play when they went on an all out blitz to end the game. Jimmy Braddock got things started with a three pointer before Matt Doherty and Sam Perkins each cashed in on a pair of free throws to cut the lead to three. After Sampson missed a free throw, Braddock attempted to tie the game with a three pointer but missed. However, Michael Jordan was there to tip it in to cut it to one. Then, in a moment that will live forever in the minds of UNC fans, Jordan stole the ball from Rick Carlisle and delivered his trademark windmill jam to complete an 11-0 run to give the Tar Heels a 64-63 victory.
MARCH 23, 2007 UNC 74 SOUTHERN CAL 64
This wasn't the biggest comeback in Carolina history but in terms of importance, it's hard to beat. The Tar Heels were facing elimination in the 2007 NCAA Tournament as they trailed the University of Southern California by sixteen points early in the second half at the Meadowlands in a regional semi-final contest. The Trojans had scored the final nine points of the first half and also the first six points of the second half to complete a 15-0 run and led 49-33 with 17:43 to play. The quickness of Southern Cal was taking its toll on Carolina and a young squad that consisted of ten freshmen and sophomores could easily have lost their confidence and folded. However, grit and determination took over and the Tar Heels started playing tenacious defense and pounding the offensive backboards. A 12-4 UNC run cut the deficit to 53-45 before the Trojans pushed the advantage back up to 59-49. Then it all came together for the Tar Heels as they scored 18 straight points to pull out a 74-64 victory and advanced to the regional finals against Georgetown.
MARCH 6, 1975 UNC 101 WAKE FOREST 100
The sports writers were already writing the Heels off in Greensboro as they trailed Wake Forest 90-82 with just 50 seconds to go. A Phil Ford jumper was followed by a hoop by Mitch Kupchak and it was a four point game with 34 seconds remaining. Then the huge controversial call that is still talked about came when the officials ruled the ensuing Demon Deacons inbounds pass grazed the bottom of the scoreboard and the Heels were awarded the ball. Walter Davis scored following the turnover and it was down to a two point game. The Deacons had two chances to salt the game away from the free throw line but missed the front end of both opportunities and Brad Hoffman drilled a baseline jumper to tie the game and send it into overtime. The Tar Heels won by a single point in the extra stanza and went on to win the tournament championship two days later.
FEBRUARY 15, 2006 UNC 82 GEORGIA TECH 75
A North Carolina team that lost its top seven players from its National Championship squad a year earlier fell behind Georgia Tech 50-30 in the first half at the Smith Center. The Yellow Jackets connected on their first nine three point attempts in running up the twenty point lead. Freshman Danny Green scored a pair of baskets to get the comeback started and by halftime it was down to a 55-42 deficit. The Tar Heels opened the second half with a 19-6 run that culminated with a three pointer by Reyshawn Terry to tie the score. After Georgia Tech regained the lead, freshman Tyler Hansbrough scored two of his game high 40 points to give the Tar Heels the lead for good at 69-68 with 6:10 to play. It was the most points ever scored by one person in the history of the Smith Center and also the most points ever scored by a freshman in one game in UNC history.
MARCH 6, 2005 UNC 75 DUKE 73
The Smith Center scoreboard read Duke 73 UNC 64 with 2:45 to play. It was the final regular season game and 2nd ranked Carolina's hopes to finish in sole possession of first place in conference play were fading. The Blue Devils had scored nine consecutive points and had all the momentum in the world. But senior Jawad Williams got things turned around in his final home game with a tipin of a missed basket. Raymond Felton caused a Duke turnover on the other end. Freshman Marvin Williams sank a pair of free throws to cut the deficit to five. Sean May converted a three point play and suddenly it was 73-71. David Noel stole the ball with 30 seconds to play and Felton was fouled with 19.4 seconds remaining. Felton made the first free throw to cut it to one but missed the second. However, freshman Marvin Williams was there to rebound and he scored and was fouled. His free throw completed an improbable 11-0 run and Duke missed two attempts on the other end as time expired.
FEBRUARY 8, 1992 UNC 80 WAKE FOREST 78
The Tar Heels fell behind the Demon Deacons by 22 points in the first half and looked like they were on their way to a sure loss. Each time they made a run Wake Forest would respond and it was still a 20 point game at the 15:00 mark of the second half. From here the boys in blue began mounting a slow and methodical comeback that saw the deficit cut to 75-64 with six minutes to play. A 10-0 scoring run ensued and suddenly it was a one point game. Pat Sullivan then tied the game by scoring his only two points on a pair of free throws. It then became the Brian Reese show as the forward first came up with a steal, then after a timeout he attempted the game winning shot, missed it, rebounded it himself and swished a fadeaway jumper as the clock expired. It was UNC's first lead since 3-2 and completed the biggest comeback in terms of point deficit (22) in Carolina history.
JANUARY 27, 1993 UNC 82 FLORIDA STATE 77
The electricity in this comeback was phenomenal. Florida State was so dominating in this one that their players were even making fun of the Heels as they rolled to a 21 point lead in the second half. Nothing was going right for UNC and they still trailed 73-54 with just over eight minutes to go when the improbable began. With the normally passive Smith Center crowd in a raucous, the Tar Heel defense became absolutely smothering and the offense reeled off 15 consecutive points to slice the lead to four. With 2:00 left, Eric Montross scored in close to make it a 77-76 Florida State lead. Then, George Lynch did his own Michael Jordan impersonation by stealing the ball and slamming it home to put Carolina ahead. Donald Williams iced the game from the line as UNC outscored Florida State 28-4 to end this amazing comeback.
MARCH 2, 1974 UNC 96 DUKE 92
Who could ever forget this one? With just seventeen ticks of the clock left at Carmichael Auditorium in the final game of the '73-'74 regular season against rival Duke, the Tar Heels trailed 86-78. Also, this was before the three point shot which makes it even that much more incredible that they were able to pull it off. It began innocently enough with a pair of free throws by Bobby Jones. A Duke turnover led to a John Kuester bucket with 13 seconds left. The Tar Heels then stole the Blue Devil inbounds pass which led to a Jones layup and it was down to just a two point lead with six seconds to go. Duke was finally able to get the ball inbounds to Pete Kramer this time but after he was fouled with four seconds left he missed a free throw that would have clinched the game for Duke. UNC rebounded and called timeout with three seconds to go to setup the final shot. It went to Walter Davis near midcourt who took two dribbles and then sank a 30 footer to tie the game as the buzzer sounded. The overtime was anti-climactic as the Heels finished off the greatest comeback in NCAA history.
Being a fan of the North Carolina Tar Heels, I've witnessed a lot of incredible comebacks.
Here are a few:
FEBRUARY 10, 1983 UNC 64 VIRGINIA 63
UNC and Virginia were ranked 1-2 in the country for this big showdown game in the friendly confines of Carmichael Auditorium. This one was all Virginia for most of the game as Ralph Sampson was at his best in leading the Cavaliers to a sixteen point lead in the second half. Carolina was still down by ten with just over four minutes to play when they went on an all out blitz to end the game. Jimmy Braddock got things started with a three pointer before Matt Doherty and Sam Perkins each cashed in on a pair of free throws to cut the lead to three. After Sampson missed a free throw, Braddock attempted to tie the game with a three pointer but missed. However, Michael Jordan was there to tip it in to cut it to one. Then, in a moment that will live forever in the minds of UNC fans, Jordan stole the ball from Rick Carlisle and delivered his trademark windmill jam to complete an 11-0 run to give the Tar Heels a 64-63 victory.
MARCH 23, 2007 UNC 74 SOUTHERN CAL 64
This wasn't the biggest comeback in Carolina history but in terms of importance, it's hard to beat. The Tar Heels were facing elimination in the 2007 NCAA Tournament as they trailed the University of Southern California by sixteen points early in the second half at the Meadowlands in a regional semi-final contest. The Trojans had scored the final nine points of the first half and also the first six points of the second half to complete a 15-0 run and led 49-33 with 17:43 to play. The quickness of Southern Cal was taking its toll on Carolina and a young squad that consisted of ten freshmen and sophomores could easily have lost their confidence and folded. However, grit and determination took over and the Tar Heels started playing tenacious defense and pounding the offensive backboards. A 12-4 UNC run cut the deficit to 53-45 before the Trojans pushed the advantage back up to 59-49. Then it all came together for the Tar Heels as they scored 18 straight points to pull out a 74-64 victory and advanced to the regional finals against Georgetown.
MARCH 6, 1975 UNC 101 WAKE FOREST 100
The sports writers were already writing the Heels off in Greensboro as they trailed Wake Forest 90-82 with just 50 seconds to go. A Phil Ford jumper was followed by a hoop by Mitch Kupchak and it was a four point game with 34 seconds remaining. Then the huge controversial call that is still talked about came when the officials ruled the ensuing Demon Deacons inbounds pass grazed the bottom of the scoreboard and the Heels were awarded the ball. Walter Davis scored following the turnover and it was down to a two point game. The Deacons had two chances to salt the game away from the free throw line but missed the front end of both opportunities and Brad Hoffman drilled a baseline jumper to tie the game and send it into overtime. The Tar Heels won by a single point in the extra stanza and went on to win the tournament championship two days later.
FEBRUARY 15, 2006 UNC 82 GEORGIA TECH 75
A North Carolina team that lost its top seven players from its National Championship squad a year earlier fell behind Georgia Tech 50-30 in the first half at the Smith Center. The Yellow Jackets connected on their first nine three point attempts in running up the twenty point lead. Freshman Danny Green scored a pair of baskets to get the comeback started and by halftime it was down to a 55-42 deficit. The Tar Heels opened the second half with a 19-6 run that culminated with a three pointer by Reyshawn Terry to tie the score. After Georgia Tech regained the lead, freshman Tyler Hansbrough scored two of his game high 40 points to give the Tar Heels the lead for good at 69-68 with 6:10 to play. It was the most points ever scored by one person in the history of the Smith Center and also the most points ever scored by a freshman in one game in UNC history.
MARCH 6, 2005 UNC 75 DUKE 73
The Smith Center scoreboard read Duke 73 UNC 64 with 2:45 to play. It was the final regular season game and 2nd ranked Carolina's hopes to finish in sole possession of first place in conference play were fading. The Blue Devils had scored nine consecutive points and had all the momentum in the world. But senior Jawad Williams got things turned around in his final home game with a tipin of a missed basket. Raymond Felton caused a Duke turnover on the other end. Freshman Marvin Williams sank a pair of free throws to cut the deficit to five. Sean May converted a three point play and suddenly it was 73-71. David Noel stole the ball with 30 seconds to play and Felton was fouled with 19.4 seconds remaining. Felton made the first free throw to cut it to one but missed the second. However, freshman Marvin Williams was there to rebound and he scored and was fouled. His free throw completed an improbable 11-0 run and Duke missed two attempts on the other end as time expired.
FEBRUARY 8, 1992 UNC 80 WAKE FOREST 78
The Tar Heels fell behind the Demon Deacons by 22 points in the first half and looked like they were on their way to a sure loss. Each time they made a run Wake Forest would respond and it was still a 20 point game at the 15:00 mark of the second half. From here the boys in blue began mounting a slow and methodical comeback that saw the deficit cut to 75-64 with six minutes to play. A 10-0 scoring run ensued and suddenly it was a one point game. Pat Sullivan then tied the game by scoring his only two points on a pair of free throws. It then became the Brian Reese show as the forward first came up with a steal, then after a timeout he attempted the game winning shot, missed it, rebounded it himself and swished a fadeaway jumper as the clock expired. It was UNC's first lead since 3-2 and completed the biggest comeback in terms of point deficit (22) in Carolina history.
JANUARY 27, 1993 UNC 82 FLORIDA STATE 77
The electricity in this comeback was phenomenal. Florida State was so dominating in this one that their players were even making fun of the Heels as they rolled to a 21 point lead in the second half. Nothing was going right for UNC and they still trailed 73-54 with just over eight minutes to go when the improbable began. With the normally passive Smith Center crowd in a raucous, the Tar Heel defense became absolutely smothering and the offense reeled off 15 consecutive points to slice the lead to four. With 2:00 left, Eric Montross scored in close to make it a 77-76 Florida State lead. Then, George Lynch did his own Michael Jordan impersonation by stealing the ball and slamming it home to put Carolina ahead. Donald Williams iced the game from the line as UNC outscored Florida State 28-4 to end this amazing comeback.
MARCH 2, 1974 UNC 96 DUKE 92
Who could ever forget this one? With just seventeen ticks of the clock left at Carmichael Auditorium in the final game of the '73-'74 regular season against rival Duke, the Tar Heels trailed 86-78. Also, this was before the three point shot which makes it even that much more incredible that they were able to pull it off. It began innocently enough with a pair of free throws by Bobby Jones. A Duke turnover led to a John Kuester bucket with 13 seconds left. The Tar Heels then stole the Blue Devil inbounds pass which led to a Jones layup and it was down to just a two point lead with six seconds to go. Duke was finally able to get the ball inbounds to Pete Kramer this time but after he was fouled with four seconds left he missed a free throw that would have clinched the game for Duke. UNC rebounded and called timeout with three seconds to go to setup the final shot. It went to Walter Davis near midcourt who took two dribbles and then sank a 30 footer to tie the game as the buzzer sounded. The overtime was anti-climactic as the Heels finished off the greatest comeback in NCAA history.
Davidius
Puritan Board Post-Graduate
That was truly amazing!
Being a fan of the North Carolina Tar Heels, I've witnessed a lot of incredible comebacks.
It's too bad that they couldn't have another incredible comeback the other nght.
VirginiaHuguenot
Puritanboard Librarian
It's too bad that they couldn't have another incredible comeback the other nght.
I know...I'm still in mourning. Kudos to Georgetown for their amazing comeback. That's two years in a row a DC-area team has sent the Tar Heels home early. I heard that Patrick Ewing, Sr. tried to call Michael Jordan on his cell phone to gloat about it but Jordan wouldn't take his call. To top it all off, the UNC mascot guy was hit by a car on Friday and died yesterday. It is a sad day for the Tar Heel family.
caddy
Puritan Board Senior
This is awesome
But I recall my own U.T.C.( University of Tennessee @ Chattanooga ) Mocs back in 80's against Lamar in NCAA Tournament. I'm trying to find the game highlights. They were down by like 9 points with a minute 10 seconds or so to go..and won the Game!
But I recall my own U.T.C.( University of Tennessee @ Chattanooga ) Mocs back in 80's against Lamar in NCAA Tournament. I'm trying to find the game highlights. They were down by like 9 points with a minute 10 seconds or so to go..and won the Game!
- Status
Similar threads
- Locked
