Fatality shakes Eagles
CHAPEL HILL, N.C. -- The Boston College men's basketball team was hoping its first trek from Chestnut Hill to Chapel Hill would not have been so eventful, but that changed Tuesday night when the charter bus carrying the team to a 7 p.m. practice struck and killed a bicyclist on Highway 54 just inside the city limits.
Police officials yesterday identified the victim as Harry Weldon Alston, 39, of Carrboro, N.C.
Police, however, did not release the name of the driver of the bus owned and operated by Southern Coach Co., of Durham, N.C.
''It's extremely unfortunate, more so for the people who were involved, but we were kind of like bystanders," BC coach Al Skinner said before last night's Atlantic Coast Conference contest at North Carolina. ''Luckily, no one for us was involved or hurt, that's the most important thing.
''I just feel badly -- and it's not so much for us -- but for the two parties who were involved."
Skinner declined to make further comment on the matter but did indicate Chapel Hill police had not interviewed anyone on the team. ''All we did was give them a list of people who were on the bus," he said.
Skinner, though, lauded University of North Carolina officials for dispatching several vans to the accident scene to help ferry the team to the Dean E. Smith Center for its practice session Tuesday night. ''Everyone here had been understanding and sympathetic," Skinner said.
Williams provides lift
Sean Williams, who logged nine minutes of action in BC's 65-61 victory at Miami Saturday, seemed to show some glimpses of his former self when he made two blocks and drew an offensive charge in the eight minutes he played down the stretch.
Williams, who had been projected to be BC's fifth starter, has been relegated to a bench role since his reinstatement Dec. 22 from suspension.
''Clearly he gives us a lift off the bench," Skinner said of Williams, who entered last night's game having played in nine games, averaging 2.9 points, 2.9 rebounds, and 13.9 minutes. ''He's obviously going to play an integral part of what our success is going to be."
But was Williams ready to start? ''I've said this many times: It's more important who finishes the game than who starts the game."
Asked if Williams was up to speed, Skinner said, emphatically, ''Oh no. He's getting better, but, no, he's not. I'm not sure that he's back to where he was at the end of last season -- in fact, I know he's not. He's just acclimating himself. The one thing that's been discounted in his absence has been his lack of practice time and that's very important.
''Because of that, he's kind of learning on the run because we haven't had a lot of practice time."
History lesson
BC entered last night's game with a 1-2 all-time record against the Tar Heels, with all three games coming in the NCAA Tournament. The last meeting, though, probably struck a raw nerve in Chapel Hill. That was BC's 75-72 upset March 20, 1994, over a top-ranked and top-seeded UNC team that was looking to defend its national championship. ''Not only is it different staffs for both teams, but that was a different era," said Skinner, who was in his fifth season as the University of Rhode Island's head coach at the time of BC's greatest basketball upset. ''That's almost in the archives." But it was still remembered here. ''I'm sure it is, I don't doubt it," Skinner said. ''And this will become part of the history, but I don't it impacts what the present is or what the future is going to be, that's my point. Of course, you're going to remember. That's what makes college athletics so unique." . . . Skinner (299-230 career) entered last night's game looking to notch his 300th career victory, and his 162d at BC . . . The Eagles, who chartered home after last night's game, will play host to Georgia Tech Sunday at 5:30 p.m.
