N.C. State Takes NCAA

ALBUQUERQUE. N.M.--Lorenzo Charles' shot with one second remaining culminated North Carolina St.'s dream season Monday night, giving the Wolfpack a 54-52 victory over top-ranked Houston for the NCAA basketball championship.

Charles, a 6-ft-7-in sophomore, grabbed an current 30-foot shot by Weeks Whittenburg with four seconds remaining and stuffed it home.

North Carolina State had taken time out with 44-seconds remaining and went into a stall in an effort to get the last shot in regulation.

N.C. State became the second straight ACC team to win the title, following North Carolina last year.

Once again it was a pulsating comeback for the Wolfpack, something that has marked most of their games in post-season play.

As Charles stuffed the ball through the basket and the final second ticket off. N.C. State players leaped into the air, while Houston players slumped to the floor. Players from both sides cried openly.

Houston entered Monday night's game as seven-point favorites, and many said that was generous. The men of "Phi Slama Jama" "had put on an a we some show of speed and slam dunks in demolishing. No 21 Louisville 94-81 in the semi-finals Saturday.

North Carolina State led Houston by 10 points late in the first half and was in front 33-25 at the intermission. But in the second half. Houston ripped off a 17-2 spurt behind 7-ft. Akeem Abdul Olajuwon's eight points and five by Benny Anders. That gave the Cougars a 42-35 lead, their biggest advantage.

Then the Wolfpack's outside shooting game came alive, with Whittenburg, Steve Gannon and Sidney Lowe all connecting from more than 20 feet out.

Whittenburg, a 6-ft, I am senior who missed 14 games during the season with as foot injury, drilled in two straight jumpers from long range to finally tie the score 52-52 with 1-59 remaining.

Houston, bidding to become the first South West Coference team event to win the national title, had an opportunity to go ahead, but freshman guard Alvin Franklin missed the first of a one-and-one and North Carolina State's Cozell McQueen tipped the ball to Lowe before he fell out of bounds.