For all of his experience, Driesell didn’t see the punch coming. It was Dec. 16, 1970, and the Terps were in trouble. Down big to the Gamecocks, a skirmish between Maryland’s Charlie Blank and South Carolina’s John Ribock broke out underneath Maryland’s basket.
Benches emptied soon enough, as did many of the bleachers in Carolina Coliseum. Amid the flurry of confusion that followed, Ribock busted Driesell’s lip open with a clean right cross.
“After the game, [former South Carolina head coach] Frank McGuire said, ‘Ain’t nobody hit Lefty. He was swinging around and hit himself,’” Driesell recalled with a chuckle.
The game was called shortly thereafter. Despite White’s exploits — the sophomore guard poured in a then-Carolina Coliseum record 38 points — the Gamecocks walked out 26-point victors. However, the stage was set for an emotional rematch in College Park three weeks later.
Two days before the game, the department published a full-page ad in The Diamondback imploring students to “accord coach McGuire and his Carolina team the warm welcome, courteous treatment and gracious hospitality which we offer to all guests on our campus.”
