PHILADELPHIA – North Carolina, by design, jumped on Saint Peter’s early and never trailed in plucking the Peacocks 69-49. The win puts the Tar Heels in the Final Four for a record 21st time and sets up a confrontation with rival Duke. (3\/27) <\/p>\n
“We didn’t even want them to have a hope to win this game,” UNC defensive star Leaky Black said about the fast start against the tournament’s Cinderella team. <\/p>\n
The Tar Heels led 9-0, worked the lead to double digits at 17-7 and led by as many as 21 points in the first half before settling for a 38-19 halftime lead.<\/p>\n
The first few minutes of the second half was much of the same as Carolina went on a 9-1 run to begin the half, working the margin to 27 at 47-20 following a three pointer by Brady Manek.<\/p>\n
But it was Armando Bacot who controlled the game with his inside play, resulting in 20 points and 22 rebounds. As a result, Bacot was named the regional’s Most Outstanding Player, joining teammates Caleb Love and Manek on the all-regional team.<\/p>\n
Manek had 19 points and eight rebounds while Love finished with 14 points, following up on his 30-point performance against UCLA in the previous game.<\/p>\n
The offense came as a result of the suffocating defense on Saint Peter’s, who shot just 30 percent for the game and just 25 percent from beyond the arc.<\/p>\n
The Peacocks got no closer than 19 in the second half and when they did Carolina turned up the defense again and went on an 8-2 run to quash Saint Peter’s. During that run, R.J. Davis hit a contested 15-footer and then came up with two straight steals that led to Carolina buckets, including a power dunk by Love.<\/p>\n
“It was an up and down season but we came out and showed everybody that we belong here,” Love said praising the way UNC coach Hubert Davis handled the team amid critics earlier in the season saying he wasn’t the right hire. <\/p>\n
Saint Peter’s, led by Fousseyni Drame’s 12 points, ends the season 22-12.<\/p>\n
Carolina, now 28-9 overall, plays Duke for a third time this season in the NCAA semi-finals Saturday night in New Orleans. Kansas plays Villanova earlier in the other semi-finals.<\/p>\n