UNC can't find replacement for Lawson

5:30 P.M. SATURDAY ATLANTA — North Carolina knew what to do. Locked in a close ACC semifinal with Florida State and time ticking away? Give the ball to ACC Player of the Year Ty Lawson.

Wait — Lawson was sitting on the bench still in his warm-ups with a boot on his injured foot.

Time for plan B. UNC looked to Wayne Ellington and Tyler Hansbrough both All-ACC players who had racked up 24 and 22 points respectively.

But when the Seminoles refused to go away and the game was in doubt in the final moments UNC found things a bit more difficult.

Hansbrough so effective for the game's first 36 minutes was held scoreless for the final four as FSU's uber-tall front court collapsed on him — and in the game's final seconds with the Tar Heels down by one Hansbrough lost the ball amid a sea of waving arms and hands.

Those long arms of FSU also posed problems for Ellington. The junior shooting guard drained shots as if he was alone in the gym all night" but he couldn't get any separation for a good look in the game's closing seconds and clanged a contested three off the rim.

""They did a pretty could job defending me"" Ellington said. I was coming off a screen and couldn't get a clean look.""

So while the Tar Heels were struggling to find their closer with Lawson out" Florida State had a simple offensive set — give the ball to Toney Douglas.

The All-ACC guard hung 27 points on the Tar Heels with an assortment of leaners floaters" and deep bombs that nobody could seem to stop. Douglas ran everyone who tried to guard him around multiple screens to get free for shots.

""They run a lot of sets for him"" Bobby Frasor said. You have to dodge those big guys around screens because he's a good shooter and he's got a good step-back. He's a load to guard.""

It was fitting" therefore that with UNC up one" that it was Douglas who drew the foul and put his team in front with two free throws with 47 seconds to play.

""He's a tough player" Lawson said as he soaked his foot in ice after the game. From the eight minute mark in every time they needed a big shot" he knocked it down.""

And with Lawson on the bench" UNC didn't have the late-game heroics that were so prevalent during the ACC regular season. Instead they had Ellington and Frasor both missing crucial free throws in the final minutes — Ellington bricking the front end of a one-and-one and Frasor missing a free throw that could have put UNC up two with 1:02 to play. Those plays left the door open for FSU to take the game which Douglas wasted no time in doing.

And with that UNC is bounced from the ACC tournament and has nothing left to do but wait for Lawson to recuperate and selection sunday" while FSU moves on to the ACC finals for the first time in school history.

""It's hard to take out a guy who's MVP of the whole league"" Roy Williams said. Everyone who is in a North Carolina uniform has to play on that certain date.

""Bottom line is"" North Carolina has to play.""