Color This One All North Carolina Blue

There wasn’t much green in evidence at the NCAA East Regional semifinal between North Carolina and Michigan State Thursday night, other than the name of the town and the color of the Greensboro Coliseum seats.

Beyond that, it was pretty much all Carolina blue.

It amounted to an overwhelming and probably unfair advantage that the No. 1-ranked and top-seeded Tar Heels didn’t really need.

With a 73-58 victory over Michigan State in front of a crowd of 23,235--about 20,000 of them Tar Heel fans, it seemed--North Carolina advanced to Saturday’s regional final.

The Tar Heels (33-3) will play second-seeded Connecticut in front of the same partisan crowd for the right to return to the Final Four for a second consecutive year.

“We’re one step away from the Final Four, but we’re not one step away from our goal. Our goal by far is to win the national championship,” North Carolina guard Shammond Williams said.

The Spartans (22-8) had been a good road team, going 10-4 this season, but playing an hour from Chapel Hill was a little much.

“It was kind of a home game for them,” Michigan State’s Jason Klein said. “It felt like going on the road in the Big Ten. That’s OK. We like being on the road. We’ve liked it all year.”

North Carolina mixed its defenses, using a zone at times that contributed to Michigan State shooting only 31% in the game.

“The shots just weren’t falling,” Klein said.

The Tar Heels also won the battle of the boards, 51-33.

The Tar Heels led by 14 at halftime, but the second half opened with several North Carolina turnovers and two three-point baskets each by Michigan State’s Jason Klein and Charlie Bell during a five-minute stretch.

With that, Michigan State cut the lead to four points, 44-40.

It wasn’t going to be a game, though. North Carolina scored the next seven points in a row, and Michigan State missed more than its next dozen shots.

North Carolina’s Antawn Jamison and teammate Vince Carter both had double-doubles, scoring 20 points each. Jamison had 14 rebounds, and Carter 10. Williams, a guard, nearly joined them, getting 18 points and nine rebounds.

Michigan State’s Mateen Cleaves scored 18 points, but had a seven-for-21 shooting night.

“Nothing was falling today,” Cleaves said.

With the victory, North Carolina Coach Bill Guthridge tied Bill Hodges of Indiana State for most victories by a first-year Division I coach with 33. He will take his team in search of 34 and the Final Four Saturday in a building where the Tar Heels have a 98-25 record.

“We did have a lot of people here, and maybe they purchased those tickets at an exorbitant price,” Guthridge said, alluding to the fact that rival Duke was expected to play at Greensboro Coliseum until North Carolina won the Atlantic Coast Conference tournament title two weeks ago on the same Greensboro court.

“We’re a good team at home, on the road and on neutral courts, and Michigan State is a good road team,” Guthridge said. “I certainly don’t think you can credit the crowd with this victory. You have to credit our team.”