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Show Xeber March 12-18, 1999 Volume II Number 22 CIMMEESLM STOEY Ml WSU: 76, UNC: 74 - 17 , mm n a po on the University of North Carolina web page, visitors were asked whether or not their men's basketball team would reach the "Sweet 16" this year. 80 percent said 'yes,' and only 20 percent said 'no.' UNC's famous basketball team alumni include Michael Jordan, Sam Perkins and James Worthy. Dental Hygiene clinic coordinator Gail Campbell told The Signpost the clinic received an anonymous voice mail which stated, "North Carolina is going to ram the ball down your team's throat." Guess not. Ox NgK - v X " By Trent Hadley asst. sports editor-The Signpost SEATTLE - No one's sleepin' in Seattle tonight - especially Ron Abcgglen and his Weber Slate University Wildcats. For the second time in four years, the 14lh-seeded 'Cats have shocked the basketball world with Thursday night's stunning first-round victory over the third-seeded North Carolina Tar Heels, 76-74, at Key Arena. The Wildcats' last run in the NCAA tournament began with a surprising victory over the third-seeded Michigan State Spartans back in 1995. And this year's upset win is just as sweet. WSU's thrilling victory over the Tar Heels marks the first time UNC has lost a first-round game in the tournament for a remarkable 19 consecutive years. Harold "The Show" Arceneaux took center stage in front of a nationally televised audience and led the 'Cats' attack with a team- and game-high 36 points on 14-of-26 shooting. He drilled 5-of-7 shots behind the 3-point line and continually hit big shot, after big shot, after big shot (you get the picture)in one of the greatest individual performances ever by a WSU player. "We all had a lot of confidence coming into this game," Arceneaux said. "1 was lucky to get open and then 1 was lucky to hit some big shots." Lucky'? Try dominant. The 1 5"'-ranked Tar Heels had no answer for the 6'6" junior forward who scorched the Tar Heels all night, leading the Wildcats to one of the biggest upsets thus far in the tournament. "Arceneaux was sensational," said UNC's head coach Bill Guthridgc. "We did not have an answer for him. 1 certainly want to congratulate Weber State. After seeing the tape of them 1 realized that they were a great team. They are certainly better than a 14 seed." The Wildcats think so, too. "No one was giving us a chance to win this ball game," said WSU starting guard Noel Jackson, who scored seven points and hauled in a team-high six rebounds. "We don't get a lot of respect coming out of the Big Sky because people think it's a mediocre league. But we had a lot of confidence coming up here. 1 told my professors and everybody up in Ogden thai we would win this game. This is no upset in my mind. We knew we could win it." Added Arceneaux: "We don't play on TV a lot. so people don't know really who we are," Arceneaux said. "We don't get to play a lot of the big schools, but we proved tonight that we. caii play with 'cm' by winning this game to-' night." Yet. the Wildcats almost let this one slip away. WSU built a Kl-point lead lale in the second half on one of Arceneaux's five 3-poinlers to put the "Cits up. 64-54. with 4:02 to play. But the Tar Heels niaV a gallant effort of a comeback and closedf t within one point on three ditlereni occasions in the final 23 sec- L3 nn7 n nri c? vJVJ LI Lj LJ tfL-) C-f' - -': 1 4 .. Noel Jackson's last free throw that sealed the fate of UNC is up. ..and soon, in. onds thanks to some clutch 3-point shooting down the stretch. But the 'Cats managed to hit 8-of-10 free throws in the final 40 seconds to hold on for the victory. Eddie Gill netted all four of his tries, while Jackson went 2-for-4 from the line and Arceneaux hit two free throws with 13 seconds remaining to keep the Tar Heels at bay. "1 was just trying to make it a regular free throw," Gill said, rel'errinu to his clutch free See Win page Right: The scoreboard says it all. Below: Eddie Gill gets ready to finesse a UNC player and drive inside. i ft - n'-- .-'- j' f?t 1 'eft'- : jfj , J Ik si e ( T f v: JVERSITY OF W n .. k: Jl '.' -k ... TON ,4 , ii'i ' :: y - |