Lorenzo Charles Dies in Bus Crash

By - Kris Fletcher

Lorenzo Charles, best known for slamming home the game winning basket at the buzzer for the North Carolina State Wolfpack during the 1983 NCAA title game, died yesterday when the bus he was driving crashed in Raleigh, North Carolina. He was 47.

Photo from: sports.espn.go.com

Tire tracks at the scene indicate that the bus veered off the highway, went down a hill and crashed into a row of trees. According to one report, a person that witnessed the accident performed CPR on Charles in an attempt to resuscitate him, but was unsuccessful.

The '83 Wolfpack's run was one of the most memorable in tournament history, and Charles played a key role throughout it.

In seven of their last nine wins, North Carolina State trailed in the final minute. Charles scored the final points in three of those nine victories.

They still remain as the only team ever to have won the title with ten losses.