RELATED: Tournament (Early Rounds)
RELATED: Tournament (Final Four)
Going into the championship, North Carolina had not faced a challenge and had cruised past every opponent, winning every game by double digits. Most people believed that Michigan State would give the Tar Heels a game. The Spartans did lead once during the entire game.
The problem? The lead was just 3-2, and it was just 47 seconds into the game.
After the Spartans took their lead, Carolina went on a 22-5 run and never looked back. The game was over by halftime, as Carolina set a championship record for points in a half with 55 and took a 21 point lead into the break. Michigan State and their hometown fans appeared to have the life sucked out of them, as the energy that present at the beginning of the contest was no longer there. North Carolina coasted to a 89-72 victory.
This is the very reason why stars Ty Lawson and Tyler Hansbrough returned. They felt that they needed to avenge their Final Four loss to Kansas last year. They did more than that by destroying the second-seeded Spartans. Lawson had a tremendous all-around game with 21 points, 8 steals, and six assists. His eight steals ties a final four record.
Tremendous outside shooter Wayne Ellington was named the Final Four Most Outstanding Player. He hit three three-pointers and finished with 19 points. This was an incredibly emotional ride for him and he couldn’t help it when he began to cry after this victory.
North Carolina sports a team that has five potential first round draft picks. Hansbrough, Lawson, Ellington, Danny Green, and freshman Ed Davis all could go in the first round next year.
The Spartans had a tremendous unexpected ride, catching a few of their opponents by surprise, but North Carolina was ready from the beginning. Few people believed that Michigan State would reach the Championship, but they did.
In the end, Carolina had just too much talent and desire to get that championship for seniors Hansbrough and Green. Hansbrough, last year’s player of the year, decided to come back for his senior year, rather than go to the NBA, to get a National Championship.
This game had all the story lines that would make it a historic game. Two hall of fame coaches faced off in Roy Williams and Tom Izzo. A North Carolina team that everyone expected to win. The Michigan State team had been underdogs most of the tournament including the championship. Michigan State played the championship in their home town in front of their own fans.
Too bad these story lines were not enough to make it the game close.
--Submitted by Charlie Morrissey, Staff Reporter |
