North Carolina Plays Kansas For the Title
North Carolina plays for the national title, against Kansas, in the New Orleans SuperDome on Monday night.
The Tar Heels will be looking to win their seventh NCAA Tournament, joining wins in 1957, 1982, 1993, 2005, 2009 and 2017. The 1982 and 1993 crowns came in the same building as Carolina will be playing this year’s final game.
UNC earned a spot playing for the championship after beating Marquette, top-seeded Baylor, UCLA and Saint Peter’s to reach the Final Four, then beating arch rival Duke in an epic game on Saturday night.
The win over the Blue Devils wasn’t without its cost. Armando Bacot injured his ankle late in that game. Although he returned to the floor, the ankle has been bothering him. Bacot and coach Hubert Davis both stated unequivocally that he would play in Monday’s game. He appeared to struggle at times during pregame warmups, going back to the locker room at one point to get some type of attention.
Bacot is in UNC’s starting lineup, with Leaky Black, Caleb Love, RJ Davis and Brady Manek. Kansas starts Christian Braun, DaJuan Harris Jr., Jalen Wilson, Ochai Agbaji and David McCormack. Agbaji hit his first six three-point attempts in a blowout win over Villanova on Saturday, and McCormack had his best game in the paint, dominating the Wildcats inside. Coach Davis said that Bacot’s matchup against McCormack could be the one that determines who wins on Monday night.
The officials for the championship game are Ron Groover, Jeff Anderson and Terry Oglesby.
Kansas scored the first seven points of the game, coming within one of the largest deficit UNC has faced in the tournament this year. At the under 16, it's 9-3 Jayhawks. Bacot has struggled, going 0-for-3 to start. He lost his grip on the ball on his first shot and was blocked on another.
UNC claws back into it with a 7-0 run to take the lead.
A hard foul on RJ Davis driving to the hoop takes us to the under 12. Kansas is up 15-12 with UNC going to the line. Heels are hanging in despite shooting 4-of-17 and 1-of-6 from three.
Kansas seems to be having a very easy time getting to the basket. Lanes have just opened up for the Jayhawks on several drives.
UNC doing what it did to Duke in the last two games ... just out-gritting them. Heels have pulled ahead 22-18 at the under 8.
Brady Manek has arrived. Back to back threes give UNC a 28-22 lead. Time out Kansas. 5:05 left in the half.
UNC gets the lead up to 10, but Kansas going to the line after the under 4. 32-22 Heels.
UNC extends the run to 14-0 and Bill Self calls time out. Heels up 36-22.
Kansas hits its first field goal in 5:28 in the waning seconds, then Puff Johnson scores just before the buzzer to give UNC a 40-25 halftime lead.
UNC is up 18-2 on second-chance points. Playing on one ankle, Bacot had a double-double in the first half.
David McCormack picks up his third foul for poking RJ Davis in the eye.
Kansas opens the half on a 6-0 run. Jayhawks are getting to the basket again. But second-half Caleb Love has arrived. Three-pointer puts the lead back into double digits
Brady Manek picks up his third foul giving Kansas an and-one. Jayhawks will try to complete the three-point play after the under 16. UNC lead down to 45-37.
Leaky Black picks up his third foul ... fouling a three-point attempt
UNC just 2-of-12 this half (both by Love) as Kansas cuts it to four.
Love seems to have hurt his ankle. He's still in the game but limping badly
Leaky Black picks up his fourth. UNC reeling a little bit right now
Kansas is 2-of-6 from the line this half, which is why UNC still has a five-poitn lead.
All Kansas right now. 12-1 run cuts it to a one-point UNC lead. Time out Tar Heels, 12:41 left.
We hit the under 12 with UNC clinging to a 48-47 lead.
Wheels are off for Tar Heels. Bacot airball. Kansas three. Love turnover. Three-point play for Kansas. Jayhawks up 56-50. Outscoring UNC 31-10 this half.
Two Davis jumpers cut it to two, but Bacot picks up his third foul.
Puff ties it with a three then draws a charge. And we hit the under 8 knotted at 57 as Lightfoot picks up his fourth foul for KU
Puff Johnson is the only one hitting shots for UNC right now, and he just went down with some type of injury or cramp. 63-61 Kansas. 4:23 left.
Puff is throwing up in the bench area.
At the under four, Kansas is up 65-61
UNC ties it at the line. Martin for three. Love with a layup. Kansas airballs a three. Manek puts back a Love miss and UNC leads by one, 69-68, 1:41 left.
McCormick puts Kansas back on top. Love blocked. 54 seconds left. Bacot turns it over.
Bacot reinjured his ankle. He was trying to hobble up court as Kansas was running offense.
38.5 seconds left, 70-69 KU. McCormick hits. Love & Puff miss threes, UNC turns it over trying to scramble for the rebound. 4.2 left. Going to take a miracle.
Wow, Kansas tried to run a long bomb play to run out the clock and Harris stepped out of bounds. UNC ball, 4.3 left, down three.
Love misses at the buzzer and Kansas wins 72-69.
