COLLEGE BASKETBALL / NCAA MEN’S TOURNAMENT : These Eagles Produce Own Highlight Reel : East: Boston College stuns North Carolina, 75-72, after watching videotape of football team’s upset of Notre Dame.

Early Sunday afternoon, hours before ninth-seeded Boston College would deliver the upset of the NCAA tournament, Eagle Coach Jim O’Brien asked his players to report to a room at the team hotel.

As a charter bus waited outside to take them to their East Regional second-round game against top-ranked North Carolina, O’Brien turned to his team and said, “If you believe in yourselves, this can happen.”

With that, a videotape was popped into a VCR and soon the Eagles were watching highlights of Boston College’s remarkable 41-39 football victory over top-ranked Notre Dame last November. For about seven minutes, the tape rolled on and as it did, the room grew more quiet.

At tape’s end, a single word appeared on the screen:

Believe.

Boston College did more than that. It won, 75-72, but only after North Carolina freshman center Rasheed Wallace, who hadn’t attempted a three-pointer the entire season, found himself with the ball and a chance to tie the score at the buzzer. He missed badly, sending the Eagles to their first Sweet 16 appearance since 1985 and sending the Tar Heels home this early for the first time since 1980.

“We’re very stunned,” said North Carolina forward Jerry Stackhouse.

Smith did what he could to defend Wallace’s decision, even going so far as to comment on the freshman’s outside shooting during recent practices.

“He has been shooting very well,” Smith said.

But it is one thing to shoot a couple of lazy three-pointers in workouts and quite another to try your first real three-point attempt as the clock ticks down and Boston College defenders are rushing toward you. Worse yet, Wallace had guards Jeff McInnis and Donald Williams positioned nearby for the final shot.

“I’m surprised he didn’t throw it to McInnis,” said Smith, realizing it was useless to pretend he was pleased with Wallace. After all, McInnis had made three of four three-point shots Sunday.

Still, Smith probably would argue that the Eagles’ victory had more to do with thuggery than Wallace’s last-second goof or any sort of video inspiration. That’s because Derrick Phelps, his senior point guard and the team’s best defender, spent the last 15:53 sitting on the bench, dazed from a concussion.

Smith, as well as the 18,922 fans who squeezed into drafty USAir Arena, watched in horror as beefy Eagle forward Danya Abrams performed a mid-air body slam on Phelps as the Tar Heel playmaker glided toward the basket for a breakaway layup. Phelps crumpled to the court, sparking an angry exchange of words, threats and finger-pointing from the North Carolina players and coaches.

Gesturing toward the 6-foot-7, 265-pound Abrams, Smith had to be restrained after rushing onto the court. Tar Heel center Eric Montross, visibly upset by the sight of Phelps writhing in pain, told a cameraman not to intrude and later shoved the mini-cam away. Other Tar Heel players yelled at Abrams as the freshman was summoned to the bench by O’Brien.

“There’s no place in basketball for that,” Smith said of Abrams’ intentional foul.

In fact, Smith said he had warned his team beforehand that “No. 24,” as he called him, was known for his rough and sometimes questionable methods.

“We saw him step on (Georgetown center Othella) Harrington’s toes on tape,” Smith said.

Abrams, who finished with 14 points and 10 rebounds, actually seemed pleased that Smith had singled him out for his play.

“For him to say something like that, I take it as a compliment,” Abrams said. “I don’t mind at all. As long as I get the job done, I don’t care what they call me.”

Abrams insisted that he wasn’t trying to injure Phelps, who weighs nearly 100 pounds less than the Eagle forward. Instead, Abrams said he simply wanted to send a message.

“If you come down the lane, you’re going to pay for it,” he said, adding later, “I’m not a bad guy here. I’m just going out and playing well.”

To O’Brien, the entire incident smacked of North Carolina whining. Yes, he said, it was an intentional foul. Yes, he wished it wouldn’t have happened. Yes, the officials made the right call by sending the Tar Heels to the line for two free throws and allowing them to retain possession of the ball.

But his Boston College team a collection of thugs? Not true.

“We just had the best basketball win in the history of Boston College and we’re having to defend ourselves against rough play from a team like that?” O’Brien said. “Please.”

At the time of the foul, the Eagles led, 50-40. But the enraged Tar Heels responded with a 13-3 run and tied the score with 10:59 to play. This was about the same time that North Carolina distanced itself from Liberty in the first round.

Not this time, though. Guard Gerrod Abram (21 points) kept making three-point shots and 6-9 center Bill Curley (18 points) kept finding ways to score despite having to contend with the 7-0 Montross, the 7-0 Kevin Salvadori or the 6-10 Wallace.

Meanwhile, Williams, who all but won the NCAA championship for North Carolina last season, was suffering through an awful shooting slump. He made two of 12 shots, none of six from beyond the three-point line.

“Just one of those days,” Williams said.

For Boston College, it was something else altogether--like an upset for the ages.

“You gotta believe,” said Abrams.

North Carolina does.