CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- Bobby Cremins couldn't pronounce his name.
The public address announcer needed a little practice in drawing out the 10 letters that make up the 6-foot-10 North Carolina reserve forward's last name.
But it didn't matter.
Brian Bersticker received a standing ovation last night when he walked off the court with 1: 24 left in the game and his third-seeded Tar Heels on the way to a 78-49 victory over sixth-seeded Georgia Tech in the ACC tournament quarterfinals.
Second-seeded Maryland will be next for Bersticker and his suddenly rejuvenated North Carolina team today as the Tar Heels continue their quest to be the first team in 30 years to win three straight Atlantic Coast Conference titles.
However, last night clearly belonged to Bersticker and his teammates didn't want anything to interfere with the rangy sophomore's first big show in two seasons.
Bersticker, an unlikely hero, virtually took over the game with 12: 49 left after Georgia Tech (15-15) drew within one at 41-40 on Jason Collier's three-point jumper.
Bersticker came off the bench and hit a 12-foot baseline jumper for a three-point lead, followed it up with two free throws and came right back with a seven-foot jumper for a 47-40 lead.
Bersticker would go on during a crushing 34-9 North Carolina run to hit another 10-foot jumper, block two shots and grab two rebounds to finish with a career- high 12 points before coach Bill Guthridge took him out amid the rousing ovation.
That's right, the latest ACC tournament hero for a storied North Carolina program is a guy named Brian Bersticker.
North Carolina (23-8) was playing in a record 100th ACC tournament game last night, seven more than Duke. The Tar Heels have won 15 tourney championships, which is also a record, and last night was their seventh straight ACC tournament victory.
"Was that Bert-sticker who hit that big jumper when we got within one?" asked Cremins, the Georgia Tech coach. "That hurt a lot and the rest of the game was not a pretty sight."
Bersticker's running mate inside for North Carolina, Brendan Haywood (13 points), said, "Brian has those long arms that allow him to get off those jumpers when other guys couldn't do it. It was his night all the way."
Bersticker mostly grinned and tried his best not to gloat in his first flirtation with the spotlight. After all, his primary job in the past for the Tar Heels was to keep the bench players into the game.
"We said at halftime we needed to do something to get going and I guess it was my jump shots that did it," said Bersticker, who stepped up with freshman starter Jason Capel in street clothes nursing a sore back. "That's the way it is for us.
"You need to stay in the game mentally and support the team from the bench if you don't play or go in and do something good like set a pick."
Or spark a 34-9 run.
GEORGIA TECH -- Collier 6-15 4-4 17, Babul 0-0 2-2 2, Jones 1-7 6-11 8, Floyd 2-11 0-0 6, Akins 4-14 0-0 12, Vines 2-3 0-0 4, LaBarrie 0-0 0-0 0, Kelly 0-0 0-0 0, Kincaid 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 15-50 12-17 49.
NORTH CAROLINA -- Okulaja 4-11 2-3 12, Lang 5-7 1-1 11, Haywood 5-8 3-5 13, Owens 4-11 0-0 8, Cota 4-8 2-2 14, Evtimov 0-2 2-5 2, Bersticker 5-6 2-2 12, Curry 2-2 0-0 4, Frederick 0-0 0-0 0, Melendez 1-1 0-0 2, Newby 0-0 0-0 0, Williams 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 30-56 12-18 78.
Halftime--North Carolina 33-26. 3-point goals--GT 7-23 (Akins 4-10, Floyd 2-8, Collier 1-4, Vines 0-1); NC 6-14 (Cota 4-7, Okulaja 2-4, Owens 0-2, Evtimov 0-1). Fouled out--Collier. Rebounds--GT 27 (Jones 7); NC 39 (Evtimov 8). Assists--GT 10 (Vines 4); NC 18 (Cota 9). Total fouls--GT 19, NC 17. A--23,895.
Pub Date: 3/06/99