For two hours on Tuesday night, a North Carolina basketball team was performing what many take for granted as a simple Tar Heel duty: making history.

On that night at least, UNC was not a team on the brink of missing out on the NIT. It was another group writing its chapter in Tar Heel lore.

With the 69-62 win against visiting Miami, North Carolina became the second basketball program to win 2,000 games.

Mired in a forgettable season, this young team was a part of something to remember.

“It’ll be something that people talk about for hundreds of years,” senior Marcus Ginyard said. “Getting 2,000 wins is obviously a huge milestone for the program, and to be a part of that game — it’s kind of hard to describe, but it’s a great feeling.”

On Tuesday, Ginyard and Deon Thompson were not underachieving seniors at the head of an at-times uninspired team.

They were decorated veterans who have delivered three ACC regular-season titles and two ACC Tournament titles, made two trips to the Final Four and won an NCAA championship. And they had a unique Senior Night.

“Today was an emotional day,” UNC coach Roy Williams said. “It wasn’t just about basketball.

“I remember going into Deon’s home. It seems like it was just last week.”

Kentucky, who has 15 more wins in program history than UNC, was the first to reach the milestone. The Wildcats did it earlier this season.

UNC’s all-time record is now 2,000-717. Kansas is close behind with 1,997 wins.

The six UNC seniors — Ginyard, Thompson, Marc Campbell, James Gallagher, Terrence Petree and Thomas Thornton — posed after the final buzzer with a North Carolina jersey with the number 2,000 across the chest before being joined by the rest of the team at midcourt.

“I don’t think I could have picked a better time to be born,” Campbell said.

“These four years: 500 wins for Coach Williams, 600 wins, 2,000 wins, national championship, Obama; it’s just unbelievable the stuff that’s happened while I’ve been here. And I’m blessed every day to be a part of it.”

Thompson, too, was humbled by the accomplishment.

“I’ve been here for a long time, and I’ve done a lot of things,” Thompson said.

“And to be only the second program in college basketball to reach that milestone is definitely just something else to add and say you were a part of. Right now it’s not as sweet, but I’m sure 10 years from now, it’ll definitely be something to remember.”

Coming into the season, it was generally assumed that UNC wouldn’t have to wait long to notch win No. 2,000. But it took a lot longer than expected to tally the 16 wins necessary to reach the milestone.

Had UNC not taken care of business Tuesday, it might have had to wait for its seemingly much less fateful 101st season to accomplish the feat.

The only games left on the schedule are a tough road contest at Duke, followed by the one-loss-and-you’re-out ACC Tournament.

This win came in somewhat typical 2009-10 Tar Heel fashion. UNC turned the ball over 17 times and couldn’t put the Hurricanes away despite multiple opportunities and a double-digit lead.

“It’s been a hard year for those kids in the locker room,” Williams said.

“Not anything to belittle 2,000 wins, but it’s been a hard year. The stress on those kids, it’s been hard.”

But after Ginyard made the second of his three free throws in the final minute to record his first ever double-double in his last home game (and he admitted to looking up at the scoreboard to check his stats), he finally allowed it all to sink in.

The fifth-year senior took a moment away from a season full of frustration. He smiled all the way down the court.



Contact the Sports Editor at sports@unc.edu.