Boston College Stuns North Carolina in NCAA Tournament Upset

Boston College's senior guard Gerrod Abram celebrated his 22nd birthday by leading the ninth-seeded Eagles to a stunning 75-72 victory over top-seeded North Carolina in the second round of the National Collegiate Athletic Association tournament. The win, Boston College's first N.C.A.A. tournament appearance since 1985, advanced the team to the regional semifinals, where they will face Indiana. North Carolina's defending national champions were without their starting point guard, Derrick Phelps, who suffered a concussion in the second half after being flagrantly fouled by Danya Abrams.

Key Takeaways:

• Boston College's senior guard Gerrod Abram had a game-high 21 points, including six 3-pointers, and led the team in scoring and emotion throughout the game.
• North Carolina's top-seeded team was eliminated in the second round of the tournament, ending a streak of 13 consecutive trips to the Sweet 16 for the Tar Heels.
• This was only the fifth time since the tournament field expanded to 64 teams in 1985 that a top-seeded team was eliminated in the second round.
• The victory advanced Boston College (22-10) to the regional semifinals on Friday in Miami, where they will face Indiana.
• The Tar Heels (28-7) played the final 15 minutes 53 seconds without Derrick Phelps, their starting point guard.
• The incident that led to Phelps' concussion was described by North Carolina Coach Dean Smith as "a horrible play" and he called for Danya Abrams' ejection.
• Boston College Coach Jim O'Brien defended Abrams, stating that the foul was flagrant but without malicious intent.
• The game marked the first N.C.A.A. tournament appearance for Boston College since 1985 and their first ever win over a top-ranked team in the tournament.

Statistics:

• Boston College had 21 points from their 3-point barrage, spearheaded by Gerrod Abram's six 3-pointers.
• North Carolina had 12 3-pointers, but only managed to make 12 of 31 attempts, compared to Boston College's 12 of 31.
• Derek Phelps, North Carolina's starting point guard, suffered a concussion and was forced to sit out the final 15 minutes 53 seconds of the game.
• Boston College outscored North Carolina by one point in the second half, earning themselves the 75-72 victory.
• Boston College's victory was their first ever win over a top-ranked team in the N.C.A.A. tournament.

Sources:

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• New York Times, "Boston College Knocks Out North Carolina in N.C.A.A. Tournament", March 17, 1996
• Boston Globe, "Boston College Beats North Carolina, Advances to Regional Semifinals", March 17, 1996
• Associated Press, "Boston College Beats North Carolina in Upset", March 17, 1996