Tigers, UNC look to bounce back

COLUMBIA - Even though Clemson's perfect streak is over, the enthusiasm for the program is still there.

Clemson students set up 145 tents outside the Littlejohn Coliseum ticket office Monday night to get seats for Wednesday's matchup between the 19thranked Tigers and No. 4 North Carolina.

''There's a lot of excitement right now,'' Tigers coach Oliver Purnell said.

And there could've been so much more had both teams not lost over the weekend.

The Tar Heels (15-2, 2-1 Atlantic Coast Conference) were ranked No. 1 before they fell at Virginia Tech on Saturday.

A short time earlier, Clemson's distinction as the nation's last unbeaten in Division I came to an end with its 92-87 loss at Maryland.

Purnell figures North Carolina will be as determined to put the Virginia Tech loss behind them as the Tigers will be to start a new streak.

''I expect they'll be pretty fired up,'' Purnell said.

This season has already generated a lot of excitement. While the Tigers had steady improvement over Purnell's four seasons, nothing has compared to this stretch.

The team's 17-0 start matched the best in school history, established by the 1986-87 team led by NBA standout Horace Grant.