The Replay: Coach K falls ill, returns; UNC takes a hard fall; Good news for Wolfpack
It’s been an eventful week in Triangle sports, a week that saw tremendous diversity in results for area teams, from the hardcourt to the ice … and even the fields.
Here’s what you might have missed this week:
Coach K takes ill, returns
In a scary scenario for Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski and the Blue Devils’ faithful, Coach K fell ill during a game against Wake Forest this past week and left the bench at halftime. It was the second time this season — coincidentally both against Wake Forest — that Krzyzewski has been unavailable to coach in a game. Both times, the illness was non-COVID related.
This week, even without their coach, the Blue Devils finished strong, pulling out a 76-74 win over the Demon Deacons.
A couple of days later, Krzyzewski addressed the health issue.
“I’m better,” Krzyzewski said Thursday during a radio show. “We went through a very taxing part of our season with four games in eight days, late travel and I still prepare the same way. That day for Wake, I wasn’t feeling that good. During the game, during the first half, I got lightheaded on the bench and I called (assistant coaches) Jon Scheyer and Chris Carrawell over and said, ‘Look, I’m not feeling great. You guys do more. Just don’t hold back.’
“Then I started feeling a little bit better during the half. Then, as I’m walking off the court at halftime, it’s the first time I had stood up — I really thought I could pass out. I got to the locker room and my medical people just gave me IVs and whatever. I’m better.”
UNC men’s basketball falls in ‘terrible loss’
Wednesday was not kind to the Tar Heels, who are trying to bolster their NCAA tournament resume. What happened Wednesday was the exact opposite of that. UNC fell to last-place Pitt, 76-67, at home.
“We just didn’t play the way that I hoped, anticipated, thought that we would play with so much to play for, so much motivation to compete in to have fun,” coach Hubert Davis said after the game. “Just very disappointed.”
Carolina (18-8, 10-5 ACC) had managed to avoid losses to teams in Quads 3-4 of the NCAA Evaluation Tool (NET) rankings. The Heels were a combined 14-0 against the two lowest quads until Wednesday.
The Panthers, who were ranked No. 179, handed them their first Quad 4 loss in nine games against such opponents.
Wolfpack women get help, help themselves
The NC State women have been on a tear this season, with a stated mission of earning a solo ACC conference title.
Those hopes took a giant leap forward Thursday, and not just because the Pack throttled Wake Forest at Reynolds Coliseum that night by 31 points.
With the win — and an assist from its rival down the road — N.C. State controls its own destiny for the ACC title. While the Wolfpack was busy dismantling Wake Forest, UNC was in Chapel Hill, completing a stunning upset of No. 3 Louisville, with which the Pack had been tied in the conference standings.
Simply put now: If the Pack wins out, it will be the outright ACC champion.
Hurricanes slumping?
It’d be easy, on the surface, to look at the Canes and their four losses in five games and think, “slump.” But two of those losses have come in overtime, and the team’s meaty part of the schedule is upon them. A 3-2 overtime loss to Florida — among the best teams in the NHL — is hardly cause for panic.
The manner in which they won? OK, that was a tad alarming.
Sam Reinhart scored with 49 seconds left in regulation to tie things up, then Aaron Ekblad won it 16 seconds into the overtime when the defenseman got behind Teuvo Teravainen, took a stretch pass from Jonathan Huberdeau and beat goalie Frederik Andersen with a short backhander.
“We got what we deserved,” Canes coach Rod Brind’Amour said dryly. “Yeah, it’s disappointing but the better team won tonight, there’s no question.”
Staff writers Steve Wiseman, C.L. Brown and Chip Alexander contributed to this story.
This story was originally published February 20, 2022 at 6:00 AM.
