Basketball is sometimes cruel. Basketball, this sport where everything goes so fast, where you can feel untouchable at first and then miserable followingwards. That’s exactly what North Carolina experienced last night in the NCAA Grand Final once morest Kansas. With the game in hand with a 15-point lead at the break, Hubert Davis’ men broke down to finally lose 72-69 once morest the Jayhawks. Cruel we said.
For 20 minutes, North Carolina was like a dream. Finally rather 15, Kansas dominating the start of the match as was already the case once morest Villanova. Perhaps a little disturbed by the challenge of the meeting, the Tar Heels first suffered once morest the Jayhawks and their pivot David McCormack, ahead with a score of 11-5 following five minutes. But then there was a wave of sky blue color that swept away everything in its path. UNC took control of the game by raising the tone defensively, throwing themselves on the balls which trail, by making the law on the rebound and by imposing their rhythm in attack. From Armando Bacot to Caleb Love via RJ Davis and Brady Manek, North Carolina not only caught up but then widened the gap, taking advantage in particular of a McCormack on the bench with two fouls and an Ochai Agbaji discreet and well contained by Leaky Black. The score at the break? 40-25 UNC.
And then behind, the nightmare.
As we start to put the champagne in the fridge on the side of Chapel Hill, the match completely changed in the second half. Kansas returns with other intentions and the Tar Heels take time to exit the locker room. McCormack resumes the work he was unable to continue in the first period, while his friend Agbaji is more and more aggressive until pushing Black to the exit for four fouls. You add to that a Christian Braun who warms up while UNC struggles to find good shots in attack once morest the opposing intensity. And just like that, Jayhawks go 25-10 at North Carolina in nine minutes, before taking the lead on an award-winning shot from sixth man Remy Martin followed by an and-one from Jalen Wilson. 56-50 Kansas, all the momentum is in favor of the Jayhawks and Paul Pierce (former resident of KU present in the stands) is already thinking regarding the party he will organize following the match.
Certainly at first, the Tar Heels manage to get their heads above water. RJ Davis moves, Caleb Love gives everything despite a sore leg, and the brother of Suns player Cam Johnson – Puff – makes a superb entry to help North Carolina come back to score in the last minutes despite the banderillas of the Martin duo – Wilson. UNC even takes the lead 69-68 sixty seconds from the end on a basket from Manek. But in the money time, the Hubert Davis band has no answer once morest David McCormack. As Tar Heels inside Armando Bacot, who tied David Robinson for the most double-doubles in an NCAA season (31), reinjured his right ankle (he had already been hit in the semifinals once morest Duke), McCormack scores two hyper clutch baskets in the paint giving Kansas a 72-69 lead. Meanwhile, Caleb Love is countered in his penetration by the little Remy Martin, before missing the 3-point equalizer. Puff Johnson also misses while Brady Manek sends a pass… into touch following two offensive rebounds. UNC missed their chance. The Tar Heels will have one last opportunity following a nice gift from their opponent which makes the swell on a throw-in, but Love’s last attempt does not even reach the circle. 72-69 final score. Kansas can exult, North Carolina can cry.
Coming back from a 16-point deficit, the Jayhawks have just made the biggest comeback in the history of the university finals. Kansas thus won the fourth NCAA title in its history, the second under the Bill Self era, all with Ochai Agbaji named MOP of the Final Four. The Tar Heels are going to have regrets for a long, long, long time.
