North Carolina, despite leading favored Kansas by nine at the half, was blitzed in the second half as the Tar Heels could not seem to hit a basket and the season ended with a 70-58 loss to the Jayhawks.
Perhaps it was predictable for the season to end this way for a Carolina team that lived by the three and finally died by the three. But the Heels couldn’t hit two-point shots either as they finished the game shooting just 29 percent, the lowest of the season.
Meanwhile Kansas, who turned the ball over 12 times in the first half, scored 49 points in the second half after managing just 21 in the first half and shot 63 percent in the second half after shooting just 25 percent in the first half.
It was the third time in six years that Kansas has eliminated North Carolina from the NCAA Tournament. One joyous Jayhawks fan held up a sign which read “Can’t Beat Self” with a picture of UNC coach Roy Williams, who as everyone knows previously coached at Kansas.
North Carolina played hard in the first half and secured the ball, working the lead up to as much as 11 points even though shots weren’t falling in the first half either.
North Carolina’s season ends at 25-11 while Kansas moves to 31-5 and advance to play Michigan Thursday.
For more on the game, please click here.