We're running a tournament to find out who is the best ACC Team of all-time. Read more about it here.
Our first play-in matchup features the 16 seed 1976-77 North Carolina Tarheels and the 17 seed 1980-81 Virginia Cavaliers. The Heels are led by Phil Ford and Walter Davis while Virginia is led by Jeff Lamp and 7 footer Ralph Sampson.
The winner of the best of 5 series will get the top seeded Duke 1991-92 team next.
Game 1
UNC 76-77: 82
Virginia 80-81: 80
UNC 76-77 leads the series 1-0
Notes: Ralph Sampson (20 pts, 10 rebs) and Jeff Lamp (24 pts) combined for 44 of Virginia's 80 points, but it wasn't enough to beat Mike O'Koren and the Heels. O'Koren scored 22 points and added 4 assists and 4 rebounds on 10-15 shooting. Phil Ford finished with 14 points and 8 assists while Walter Davis pitched in 14 points as well.
Game 2
Virginia 80-81: 74
UNC 76-77: 62
The series is tied at 1
Notes: The difference in game 2 was Virginia stopped Mike O'Koren. After 22 points in game 1, O'Koren finished with just 3 points in game 2. Virginia found a 3rd scorer as well as Lee Raker scored 16 points to go along with 22 from Lamp and 17 points and 8 rebounds from the 7 footer Ralph Sampson.
Game 3
Virginia 80-81: 71
UNC 76-77: 61
Virginia 80-81 leads the series 2-1
Notes: Game 3 was all about Ralph Sampson, who scored 25 points on 8-11 shooting and grabbed 10 rebounds. Sampson also went 9-12 from the charity stripe. Virginia's defense did a good job of taking Phil Ford and Walter Davis off their game. Ford finished with 10 points and 6 assists but was just 4-12 from the field. Similarly Davis finished with just 9 points on 2-5 shooting.
Game 4
Virginia 80-81: 78
UNC 76-77: 70
Virginia wins the best of 5 series 3-1
Notes: UNC simply doesn't have an answer for Ralph Sampson. Sampson wrapped up the series for Virginia with a 21 point, 8 rebound effort. Sampson was 6-8 from the field and made 9 of 11 from the free throw line. Phil Ford did all he could to keep the Heels close but his 17 point, 5 assist effort just wasn't enough. Virginia 1980-81 will move on to face the top seed Duke 1991-92 in the next round.
Tomorrow: #9 seed Duke 2009-10 will face #24 seed Boston College 2005-06. This features the trio of Nolan Smith, Jon Scheyer, and Kyle Singler against the bullish forward Craig Smith and the versatile Jared Dudley.
