Like Old Times: Smith’s Team Beats Driesell’s

It was a familiar scene played about 6,000 miles from the usual stage. Close game. Last-second shot. And Dean Smith’s team beats Lefty Driesell’s--again.

King Rice’s driving scoop shot off the backboard at the buzzer capped a 10-0 final-minute run for No. 7 North Carolina Friday night in an 80-79 victory over James Madison in the opening round of the Maui tournament.

The game was the 42nd between teams coached by Smith and Driesell, and Smith leads, 32-10. The rivalry started in 1968 and has continued as Driesell moved from Davidson to Maryland to James Madison.

The Tar Heels made a long jump shot, two three-pointers and Rice’s miracle shot in the final minute while the Dukes were missing the front end of three one-and-one free-throw opportunities.

“I thought we had the ballgame won if we made those free throws,” Driesell said. “They made two tough three-pointers, and I thought that last shot was going over the backboard.”

Rice had an explanation for the extra zip on the shot.

“I got hit by two or three guys on that shot and that’s why it went off the glass so hard,” the junior point guard said.

James Madison, led 79-70, with 1:15 left on a free throw by Fess Irvin. That was the Dukes’ last point as North Carolina, suspect from the perimeter throughout the game, became a team that which made some long jump shots.

James Madison appeared off the hook when William Davis stole a long pass with four seconds to play after Steve Hood had missed a free throw with eight seconds left. Davis stepped on the sideline, however, and the Tar Heels got the ball to Rice, who ducked under one player and got the shot off with defensive players all around him.

“We work on that situation all the time in practice, being down with the ball,” Rice said. “That may not have been the shot we wanted, but it was the one we got.”

Driesell and Smith shook hands in the media room and Driesell told his longtime rival to “win it all.”

When asked if Smith was lucky, as Driesell often describes him good-naturedly, he replied: “Yeah, he’s lucky. But he’s won an awful lot of close ballgames.”

And one more against Lefty.