50th Anniversary of the 1965 NCCA East-West All-Star Basketball Game featuring ‘Pistol’ Pete Maravich

50th Anniversary and Reunion.

Monday night’s NCCA East-West all-star game featuring some of the best recently graduated men’s high school basketball players in the state is also a reunion of players from one of the most exciting games in the series’ history. Fifty years ago the two teams, stocked with talent and future college all-stars, slugged it out for a half before the East pulled away after the break.

Raleigh Broughton’s Pete Maravich set game records with 17 field goals and 42 points as the East became the first team to eclipse the 100 point mark. Rusty Clark of Fayetteville, who later starred for the University of North Carolina with East-West All-Star Bill Bunting of New Bern, added 23 points for the winners, who led only 40-38 at the half.

Maravich, the game’s MVP, went on to star at LSU and then in the pros and is considered one of the sport’s all-time great shooters. His three year scoring average of over 42 points per game is still an NCAA record He passed away in 1988.

Most of the players from those two teams, about 70 percent, will reunite Monday and be recognized for their participation in the all-star game. They will meet for a dinner hosted by the NCCA and then be recognized before this year’s men’s game.