COLLEGE RIVALS SHATTER WORLD RECORD FOR LONGEST BASKETBALL GAME
Biggest winners are children with life threatening illnesses

CHAPEL HILL, NC, January 2006
The final scoreboard read Duke 3,688 points to University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill's 3,444 points. The clock said 57 hours, 17 minutes and 41 seconds. Despite the mind-numbing statistics from the world record-breaking game, the real focus was on a group of children with life threatening illnesses, who share the passion for the game of basketball.

The official three-day Spalding NEVER FLAT. Duke-Carolina Basketball Marathon, benefited Hoop Dreams Academy and raised close to $60,000 with donations still coming in for the non-profit organization that helps children regain a sense of normalcy in their lives through athletics.

Twenty four students from the two Atlantic Coast Conference schools topped the official Guinness World Record of 33 hours, 35 minutes, which was set in Badhomburg, Ober-erlenbach Germany, April 15-17, 2005. "While this may have been the largest margin of defeat for Carolina on a basketball court at the same time it was our greatest victory," stated Greg Richmond, a junior at University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill, who organized the event which took eight months of planning.

Actual game ball used in all 57 hours, 17 minutes and 41 seconds.

The game began at 8 a.m. Saturday at Fetzer Gymnasium on the Chapel Hill campus and had a variety of fans and visitors. Guest appearances were made by Senator John Edwards, Carolina Coach Roy Williams and Duke University President William Broadhead, to name a few.

FUN FACTS AT THE SPALDING NEVER FLAT DUKE CAROLINA STUDENT BASKETBALL MARATHON

• Students at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and Duke University unofficially set the world record for the longest basketball game. The official Guinness Record for the longest basketball game is 33 hours and 35 minutes set in Badhomburg, Ober-erlenbach Germany, April 15-17, 2005.
• The final tally: Duke's 3,688 points to Carolina's 3,444 points through 57 hours 17 minutes and 41 seconds
• One Spalding Never Flat basketball endured 57 continuous hours of play with an estimated average (36 bounces per minute) for more than 125,000 bounces.
• The marathon event depleted the ice resources of the university.
• A check for $60,000 was presented to Hoop Dreams Basketball Academy, a non-profit organization that helps children with life-threatening illnesses regain a sense of normalcy in their lives through athletics. Donations can be made by visiting website: www.basketballmarathon.com.
• Players consumed more than 20,000 ounces of Gatorade and 100 pounds of bananas, 20 dozens of donuts and a host of other snacks
• Players on average will have played 24 hours each throughout the three day game
• The Co-ed factor: Carolina had a trio of young women competing to Duke's one. Duke's lone female player, Kaylene Lewek claims, "I'm the best girl on our team."
• Volunteers: An estimated 300+ volunteers have donated their time throughout the 3-day event. Among them, 30 referees, 20 medical professionals, hundreds of students and various members of the Raleigh/Durham/Chapel Hill community.

1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7

Contact: Lynn Luczkowski, Spalding, 413-478-1569, lluczkowski@spalding.com or Greg Richmond, (919)-357-7770, Gregory@unc.com

ABOUT SPALDING

As a Division of Russell Corporation, the Spalding Group consists of three business units: Spalding in Springfield, MA; American Athletic, Inc. (AAI) in Jefferson, IA; and Huffy Sports, in Sussex, WI. The three companies, collectively combined, are now the largest basketball equipment supplier in the world. Spalding is the official basketball supplier of the National Basketball Association (NBA) and Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA), the official backboard of the NBA and NCAA, the official volleyball of the King of the Beach Volleyball Tour, the official soccer ball of the Major Indoor Soccer League (MISL) and the official football of the Arena Football League (AFL) and Pop Warner. For more information, visit www.spalding.com.