By DAVID GINSBURG
AP Sports Writer

COLLEGE PARK, Md. (AP) - The spectacle known as the Atlantic Coast Conference women's basketball tournament took root before a cozy crowd containing primarily the friends and families of the seven participating teams.

Women's college basketball was still in the developmental stage in 1978, only six years after Title IX ordered gender equality in athletics. There was no NCAA tournament, very little money for uniforms and even less interest in the game itself.

The inaugural ACC tournament, held for three days at the University of Virginia Feb. 9-11, drew a combined 2,500 fans. Only 1,500 watched Maryland beat top-seeded North Carolina State 89-82 in the first championship game.

For Terrapins coach Chris Weller, the significance surrounding the event was far more important than the number of people who witnessed it.

After the game, Weller told the team: "You know what? There will be a lot of other teams that win the ACC tournament in women's basketball. But there's only going to be one team ever to win the first ACC women's basketball tournament."

Weller won seven more ACC titles, none more noteworthy than the first. The league has since grown to 12 teams, and the ACC champion can count on a lofty seed in the NCAA tournament.

The 30th ACC tournament, to be held this week at the Greensboro Coliseum, is expected to attract more than 60,000 people. Many of the ticket-holders will be men, who were slow to accept the notion of watching women playing basketball.

"I remember men literally shouting obscenities at us. It was ugly. The women players today are the beneficiary of that time period," recalled Mary Briese Matheron, who played on that 1977-78 team. "Our parents came to our games and some of our friends on campus. That's it."

As Matheron spoke, a sellout crowd at Maryland cheered for the Terrapins against undefeated Duke. The top-ranked Blue Devils remain the nation's only unbeaten team, further proof of how far the ACC has come since its first tournament.

In 1978, Maryland opened its run to the title with a 103-39 rout of the outclassed Blue Devils.

"Duke was not the Duke it is now," said Krystal Kimrey, who also played for the Terrapins in the first ACC tournament.

Before beating Clemson in the semifinals, Maryland watched in the stands as North Carolina State played North Carolina.

"I can remember N.C. State had these very, very sharp sweat suits. We didn't. They had their band there. We didn't," Weller said. "I figured the way you look and the way you warmed up was worth a good 10 points. My players probably thought so, too.

"So I had them watch from the seats and scout them. At first, they watched with their mouths open. Then they started noticing a few things we were able to exploit."

One day later, the Terps were ACC champs.

"It's a memory I'll take to my grave with me," Kimrey said. "When you're that age, I'm not sure you understand the historic value. But you know it will either be an important experience that helped transform the ACC for women, or it's going to be a complete bust."

The answer is in the numbers. Half the top six ACC teams are ranked nationally, which should make for big crowds this week in North Carolina.

"When you look back at it, had it not been for people like Chris Weller and those who fought for Title IX," Matheron said, "you wouldn't have this."