From the Nominator

University of North Carolina alumni are passionate about many things, but basketball arguably ranks at the top. And among the biggest hoops games every year is the contest played against archrival Duke University. And among the most memorable games ever played in what is considered the greatest rivalry in collegiate sports was the 1974 contest in Chapel Hill. Carolina Alumni Review editors planned to revisit the improbable story of the game—with its outlandish outcome of the Tar Heels scoring 8 points in the last 17 seconds to send the game into overtime and an eventual victory—in the March/April 2024 issue. The game never faded from memory for the students who witnessed the feat and has been recounted for younger alumni over the years. But rather than give a typical play-by-play account of what happened, the Review wanted to dig deep into what the game represented for people and why so many alumni to this day think of it as one of the greatest college basketball games ever played. Spoiler alert: It was more than just an incredible come-from-behind victory. It elicited emotions that are at the core of what it means to be a human being. The reaction to the article was immense, with alumni sending in letters and commenting on the website about their memories of the game. It also afforded alumni, many of whom are nearing or in their twilight years, to relive a day filled with hopes realized.

From the Judges

An incredibly well-researched piece of storytelling from UNC. We loved the great variety of voices and angles from which the author chose to compose the story of such a tightly-framed piece of school history.