FAYETTEVILLE — Charles Balentine, who hit one of the biggest shots in University of Arkansas basketball history to beat No. 1 North Carolina in 1984, died Wednesday, according to his close friend Dudley Dawson.
Dawson, a long-time sportswriter covering the Razorbacks, posted on his Twitter account: “It is with a heavy heart and the family’s permission that I acknowledge that my best friend Charles Balentine passed away today at the age of 60.”
Balentine and Dawson came to Arkansas from Newport High School to join Coach Eddie Sutton’s basketball program for the 1981-82 season.
Balentine was a 6-6 forward and Dawson, a high school teammate of Balentine’s who played point guard, became a team manager for the Razorbacks.
When North Carolina, led by star Michael Jordan, came to the Pine Bluff Convention Center to play the Razorbacks on Feb. 12, 1984, Balentine hit the game-winning baseline jump shot with four seconds left as Arkansas won 65-64.
It was the Razorbacks' first win over a No. 1-ranked team and gave the Tar Heels their first loss after a 19-0 start to the season.
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Balentine played 104 games for the Razorbacks from the 1981-82 through 1984-85 seasons and averaged 7.9 points and 3.8 rebounds.
As a senior, Balentine averaged 12.7 points and 5.6 rebounds.
"I don’t know what to say, I can’t believe he is gone," wrote Joe Kleine, Balentine's college teammate at Arkansas. "What a good guy, teammate, and friend. I’m gonna miss him! God speed and WPS Charles!"
Balentine was inducted into the UA Sports Hall of Honor in 2013. He was a sixth-round pick by the Sacramento Kings in the 1985 NBA Draft.