UNC rolls past Syracuse, sets sights on a national championship

HOUSTON — It's hard to beat a team three times in the same season. But that's what the North Carolina men's basketball team accomplished Saturday evening when they defeated Syracuse 83-66 and secured a spot in the national championship.

It was the pair of starting forwards who got things going for the Tar Heels early. Through the first 11 and a half minutes, Brice Johnson and Kennedy Meeks had 14 of UNC's 18 points while the other three starters were an abysmal 2-of-11 from the field.

The Tar Heels needed a spark.

With just under 10 minutes to play in the first half, Nate Britt fired up a 3-pointer that clanked off the rim and into the hands of the Wooden Award Player of the Year Finalist, Brice Johnson, who finished it off with a ferocious dunk.

What about that spark?

After the Johnson put-back dunk, the Tar Heels went on an 11-to-2 run, forcing Syracuse to take a timeout to regroup. 

And heading into halftime, it was the UNC bench that helped cement the lead. Isaiah Hicks hit a pair of turnaround jumpers and Theo Pinson went coast-to-coast for a layup giving the Tar Heels an 11-point lead heading into halftime. 

The opening minutes of the second half were much like the first half, frenzied and full of sloppy play.

Syracuse cut the lead to just seven points, and UNC was once again in need of a spark. And it came in the form of senior leaders Marcus Paige and Brice Johnson.

First, Paige buried his first 3-pointer of the night and then less than 30 seconds later Johnson sent the crowd to its feet with a rim-rattling dunk.

From there, the Orange strayed away from their normal half-court zone defense and went with an intimidating full-court press. But the Tar Heels handled it with poise and pushed the lead out behind six Justin Jackson points in the last four minutes.

For now, the Tar Heels can rest. But Monday, the team will play for a chance at a national championship. And that — that is something to play for.

Notable

After having a rough end to his regular season and even struggling during both the ACC and beginning of the NCAA Tournament, Kennedy Meeks has found his groove. He has reached double digits in three straight games including 15 points Saturday while shooting an impressive 7-of-9 from the field. 

Three numbers that matter

16: It took Isaiah Hicks just 16 minutes to get four personal fouls, enough to warrant a long stay on the bench during the second half. Hicks has struggled with getting into foul trouble all season and has committed four fouls in 18 of UNC's 32 games.

3: After a poor shooting performance in the first half, going just 1-of-6 from the field, Paige buried three key 3-pointers in the second half to help cement the Tar Heel victory.

50: One thing the Tar Heels didn't struggle with was points in the paint. UNC outscored Syracuse by 18 points in the paint and finished with 50 of its total 83 points from inside.

What's next?

North Carolina will take on the Villanova Wildcats in the national championship on Monday evening at 9:19 p.m.