Weber State University Athletics
WSU's 1999 win over North Carolina ranked by BSC
5/22/2014 9:38:00 PM | Men's Basketball
The Big Sky Conference continues its 50th anniversary celebration with the unveiling of the moment ranked third on its Top 50 list. Weber State's men's basketball upset over North Carolina at the 1999 NCAA Tournament has been named the third greatest moment in Big Sky history.
written by Marty Renzhofer - For the Big Sky Conference
To have any chance against vaunted North Carolina on March 11, 1999, everything had to fall just right for Weber State.
And they did.
Mostly, though, it was a continuous storm of rainbow jumpers from the right hand of Harold Arceneaux falling through the twine in Seattle's Key Arena which eventually silenced the NCAA Tournament run to North Carolina before it even began.
Only a handful of years removed from its mind-blowing upset of Michigan State in the first round of the tournament, the Wildcats repeated their bracket-busting act, this time to even more acclaim.
As “The Show” blew up for 36 points, the No. 14 seed Weber State bounced the third-seeded and heavily favored Tar Heels, 76-74.
“We just felt like we had a genuine chance to win the game,” said WSU guard Eddie “The Thrill” Gil during his induction to into the Wildcats' Hall of Fame in 2014.
As Arceneaux said, “I was just there to win.”
Prior to taking the Key Arena court, Weber State coach Ron Abegglen had a good feeling, one that comes from preparation. It was the same in 1995 when the No. 14 seeded Wildcats defeated No. 3 seed Michigan State.
“In both situations, we had game film,” Abegglen said. “I felt good about it. I felt good when I talked to the players.”
Certainly, Jimmy Degraffenried, a player on that 1995 team, knew Abegglen prepared his players to win rather than to play not to lose.
“Absolutely,” he said. “They played with purpose.”
Abegglen also drew on his experience from 1995, though his strategies were different.
“We were prepared,” he said.
Since the NCAA eliminated the first-round bye in 1982, Weber State is the only team to defeat North Carolina in the first round of the NCAA Tournament.
It was the first time the Tar Heels lost in the first round since 1978.
And, just like 1995 when Weber State came within an eyelash of qualifying for the Sweet 16, losing on a last-second hoop to Georgetown, the Wildcats were eliminated in the second round. This time, it was Florida which stopped WSU's tournament run, winning in overtime, 82–74.
North Carolina led by two at the half, but Weber State went on a 9-2 run to open the second 20 minutes and never trailed again. The Wildcats opened a 10-point lead with less than four minutes to go.
The rarely understated Kevin Harlan, doing the play by play for CBS, shouted after yet another Arceneaux 3-pointer, one of his five in the game, “The bar for heroism has just been raised.”
It did get a bit hairy at the end as the Tar Heels pulled to within 72-71 in the final 23 seconds and Weber State committed a turnover.
But Noel Jackson dropped in a free throw and Arceneaux, who now coaches and plays for Leon, Mexico, converted two more with 13.3 seconds remaining. Arceneaux scored 20 points in the second half.
“The best thing about him is his concentration,” Abegglen said about Arceneaux afterward. “I know it's a big game. I know its North Carolina. But when he gets going, he can block everything out. I've had only a few players in 38 years of coaching who can even come close to what Harold can do with his concentration.”
In a four-minute stretch of the second half, Arceneaux scored all 11 of Weber State's points to open a 68-61 lead with 1:56 to play.
North Carolina came in as the taller team, but size didn't help. For example, Brendan Haywood, the Heels' 7-foot center, missed his three field-goal attempts has couldn't get a rebound in 24 minutes of play.
Ed Cota, who led UNC with 20 points, said afterward, “We're definitely the better team. But in this tournament, the best team doesn't always win”
It was Cota who turned a WSU turnover into a basket to make the score 75-74. But Jackson made his foul shot with less than two seconds to play, and Arceneaux intercepted the Tar Heels' desperation heave down court to sew up the unthinkable.
“We knew we were going to win,” Jackson said moments after the final horn. “I don't call this an upset. We knew we were going to win, we just came in and played confidently.”
Gil scored 16 points for Weber State, which connected on 14 of its 26 3-point shots.
“Carolina will always have to live with losing to Weber State,” Gil said during his HOF induction festivities. “All those Cinderella stories, that's what March Madness is all about.”
