1957: Wilt's crew denied in 3 OT

Results -- National semifinal: Kansas 80, San Francisco 56. Championship: North Carolina 54, Kansas 53 (3 OT).

Location -- Kansas City, Mo.

Leading scorer -- Wilt Chamberlain, 7-foot sophomore center, 29.6 ppg.

Final record -- 24-3.

To Sports Illustrated senior writer Frank Deford, it was the first true national final. It was certainly a melting pot, as North Carolina became the first state from the old Confederacy to win a title -- with a team of New Yorkers no less -- while Kansas, typically a collection of down-home white players, was led by a 7-foot African-American from Philadelphia.

UNC coach Frank McGuire, hoping to rattle Chamberlain, sent his smallest player to the opening tip. Chamberlain controlled the ball, naturally, but the Tar Heels won the rest of the half and went into the locker room leading 29-22.

In the second half, though, Chamberlain brought KU back. The Jayhawks finally took the lead, 36-35, 31 minutes into the game.

With 1:45 left and KU leading 44-41, Gene Elstun went to the line after drawing the fifth foul on Lennie Rosenbluth, UNC's leading scorer. Chamberlain would later recall spotting a friend in the stands and smiling at him, assured of victory.

But Elstun missed both shots, and the momentum quickly vanished. Regulation ended in a tie at 46.

After each team scored one basket in the first overtime and went scoreless in the second, Chamberlain connected on a three-point play and Elstun hit a pair of free throws to give KU a 53-52 lead.

With 10 seconds left, UNC center Joe Quigg was fouled by Maurice King on a drive. He hit both free throws, leaving KU six seconds for the game-winner. It never came. When KU tried to throw the ball in to Chamberlain, Quigg batted it away and a teammate picked it up.

Chamberlain was named Most Outstanding Player despite the loss.