Virginia Celebrates 40th Anniversary of "The Game of the Decade"

On December 11th, 1982, Ralph Sampson and Patrick Ewing clashed in one of the most memorable college basketball games of all time

Malcolm Emmons-USA TODAY Sports

Forty years ago today, two of the best players in the history of college basketball battled on the hardwood in one of the most highly-anticipated games ever played. Ralph Sampson and the No. 1 Virginia Cavaliers took on the No. 2 Georgetown Hoyas in front of a packed house at the Capital Centre in Landover, Maryland with millions more watching at home in one of very few nationally televised college basketball games at the time. 

#OTD 40 years ago, we played "The Game of the Decade!"

🔶⚔️🔷#GoHoos pic.twitter.com/0ZBQLcX3Ui

— Virginia Men's Basketball (@UVAMensHoops) December 11, 2022

The showdown was billed as "The Game of the Decade" and it lived up to the hype as Sampson and Ewing put on a performance worthy of a heavyweight clash between two future Hall of Famers. Ewing finished with 16 points, eight rebounds, and five blocks and threw down an impressive dunk over Sampson, but it wasn't enough. Sampson, who would finish his collegiate career as a three-time National Player of the Year, won the duel with 23 points, 16 rebounds, and seven blocks to lead Virginia to an epic 68-63 win over Georgetown.

Forty years later, Virginia is commemorating the game with an oral history as told by those who lived it. UVA Today's Andrew Ramspacher published the story titled, "When Titans Clashed: An Oral History of Sampson, Ewing's Epic 'Game of the Decade'", featuring testimony from players, coaches, administrators, students, journalists, and anyone who was lucky enough to be in the building for the legendary game. 

Read the whole story here: When Titans Clashed: An Oral History of Sampson, Ewing’s Epic ‘Game of the Decade’

"It’s one of the most iconic games I ever played in," said Ralph Sampson. "It was a good, good game. We won. The picture’s still up in John Paul Jones Arena, so hopefully it’ll have an everlasting memory on the fabric of the University of Virginia. My kids and my kids’ kids will be able to see that forever. It’s very special to me."