#1 Kansas Uses 2nd-Half Rally to Beat #8 North Carolina (72-69) for 4th NCAA Championship
Rock chalk, comeback! Kansas got the last laugh in a âgame-of-runsâ title match on Monday night against North Carolina (72-69) to claim the fourth championship in program history. Despite going down 15 points at halftime and as many as 16 overall, the Jayhawks rallied for the largest comeback in NCAA Championship Game history.
Fun Fact: North Carolina was 161-0 when leading by 15 points at the half in the last 25 years.
A Tale of Two Halves
The Jayhawks jumped out to a 7-0 lead in the first three minutes of the title game, but UNC wouldnât be rattled. The Tar Heels caught fire on offense and locked down KU to spark a 40-18 run in the final 17 minutes of the opening half, including a 16-0 run. UNC led by as many as 16 and took a 15 point lead into the break. The second half was all Kansas, and they didnât wait long. KU came out and ripped off a 31-10 run in less than 10 minutes to take a 56-50 advantage. But again, Carolina responded.
The Final Minutes
The Tar Heels retook the lead with 1:41 left to play on a Brady Manek tip-in (69-68), but that would be Carolinaâs last make. Kansas got it inside to David McCormack for back-to-back buckets on the last two trips. Down 3 with the clock ticking, UNC got three different looks at a game-tying 3. No dice. Celebration, Jayhawks.