Junior Partners Take Care of Business for Tar Heels

They had shared the burden of unfulfilled expectations, so point guard Raymond Felton, center Sean May and swingman Rashad McCants came together Sunday while North Carolina celebrated an 88-82 victory against Wisconsin in the Syracuse Regional final in front of 30,132 at the Carrier Dome.

And only in their embrace did the moment seem real for the All-American juniors, who played major roles in helping the top-seeded Tar Heels hold off the sixth-seeded Badgers and advance to their NCAA-record 16th Final Four.

North Carolina (31-4), making its first Final Four appearance since 2000, will face Michigan State (26-6) in the national semifinals Saturday in St. Louis.

After a hard climb, the Tar Heels said they finally saw the mountaintop.

“It’s just an unbelievable feeling,” said May, selected the most outstanding player of the regional. “The emotion [in] going over and hugging Raymond and hugging Rashad, it was indescribable. This is what we’ve all talked about since we got here -- helping this program get back to the top.”

May led the charge against the Badgers (25-9). He scored a game-high 29 points, including eight of the Tar Heels’ first 10, and grabbed 12 rebounds.

McCants scored 21 points and made several timely plays down the stretch.

And then there was Felton. He again showed why he’s considered the linchpin to the Tar Heels’ title hopes, contributing 17 points, seven assists and converting six consecutive free throws in the final minute to seal the victory.

Felton, who sprained his left ankle with about 14 minutes remaining in the game, also initiated the up-tempo pace Coach Roy Williams prefers. The Tar Heels weren’t surprised.

“He’s our floor general, our leader,” McCants said. “Everything goes through him when we’re on the court.

“He gives us a lot of motivation out there. When he’s out there and he’s doing the things that he does best, we’re clicking on all cylinders.”

North Carolina, the nation’s highest-scoring Division I team, scored the most points Wisconsin has allowed this season.

The Badgers, who like a slower tempo, couldn’t keep pace.

“Their ball movement, their post feeds, their finishes to the basket -- that’s where they were better than us,” Wisconsin Coach Bo Ryan said. “I thought our guys played pretty well offensively, but I guess we needed 90.”

At least 89, which would have matched the Badgers’ highest total this season.

It appeared the Badgers might score even more than that after closing the first half on an 11-0 run to forge a 44-44 halftime tie, and scoring the first five points of the second half to take a 49-44 lead.

“It wasn’t the most pleasant locker room we’ve ever had at halftime, and I was pretty animated, but they listened to what I said, not necessarily the manner in which I said it,” said Williams, who is in his second season at Chapel Hill after leading Kansas to four Final Four appearances.

“Then Wisconsin came out and scored the first five points. But they didn’t put their heads down, they kept playing, and then the toughness kicked in.”

As its fans were getting restless, North Carolina got going. The Tar Heels sprinted to a 14-0 run, taking a 58-49 lead with 14:54 remaining in the game. They wouldn’t trail again, in large part because of McCants.

Forward Alando Tucker, who led Wisconsin with 25 points, and reserve guard Kammron Taylor, who scored 18, kept the Badgers close throughout the second half, but McCants’ shooting and defense helped to make the difference.

With 2:23 to play and the Tar Heels leading, 76-73, McCants blocked Clayton Hanson’s three-point attempt.

“I knew they were going to come at me with a three-point shooter, and I took it as a defensive assignment to really shut him down,” McCants said. “I feel that I’m good enough defensively to guard anybody.”

May’s two free throws extended the lead to 78-73, and after Tucker’s dunk again pulled the Badgers within three, McCants made a three-pointer at the 1:09 mark, giving North Carolina an 81-75 lead.

North Carolina went 12 for 14 from the free-throw line in the second half, and McCants’ free throw with 18 seconds left capped the scoring.

“This is special, there’s no doubt about that,” Williams said. “I loved those years at Kansas and those four times [in the Final Four]. But I did go to school at North Carolina, my wife went to school there, my son went to school there and my daughter went to school there. It is special.”