Game Blog: Heels on to Detroit
Mar 29, 2009
7:10 Blake Griffin won the battle but Tyler Hansbrough won the war, Griffin finished with 23 points and Hansbrough only 8, but Tyler's supporting cast was just too much for Oklahoma's so it's on to Detroit and Villanova. Carolina picked up their 100th NCAA win, the most all time and will be heading to their 18th Final Four also the most all time.
7:05 Danny Green just killed the rally with a soft jumper over Griffin, he has been sensational all day with 18 points, then Willie Warren just traveled. Jeff Capel just dropped his head in disgust, it looks like North Carolina can start booking their rooms to Detroit. It has not been a great performance by Carolina but they were able to grind it out surprisingly with defense. Just goes to show you never know how a game will play out.
6:58 Here comes the stretch run, will North Carolina hold on to get that much awaited chance at redemption in Detroit or will Oklahoma pull off a stunning comeback. 3:40 to go Heels by 12, but the Sooners are coming on, might be too little too late.
6:51 Look out here come the Sooners! Two really bad turnovers by Deon Thompson have ignited a rally. Willy Warren threw down what looked like a meaningless slam, but OU has responded by outscoring Carolina 9-2 in the last two minutes and we have a game at 61-49 with 4:31 left.
6:40 The Tar Heels are starting to look like that scary team everybody thought they could be, blowing the doors off a really good Oklahoma team. Doing it with Tyler Hansbrough only scoring 4 points and only 7 from Ellington. Danny Green and Lawson have been sensational, Ty has 12 in the second and has just taken over.
6:33 Blake Griffin just snagged his millionth rebound and then drew Ed Davis' 4th foul. He is a superstar and is keeping OU in the game with his second-chance buckets. Lawson just nailed a three to up the lead to 15, but guess who...Griffin with a bucket and the foul, he has 21 of their 40. 53-40 at the under 12 time-out.
6:22 Action just really picked up, Wayne Ellington knocked down a 3, then Blake Griffin threw down an amazing alley-oop that only he could have gotten, but Lawson came right back in transition to answer. At the under 16 time-out UNC is up 12.
6:18 So far Griffin continues to dominate the glass, 2 offensive boards that result in 4 points, Lawson can't really get anything going in transition and Hansbrough continues to struggle, called for a travel on his first touch of the half. Heels by nine 40 to 31.
6:16 You always wonder how a team with the lead will come out to start the second half, Carolina will have their starters back on the floor including Hansbrough. Heels need to take control of the next 5 minutes or it could be a dogfight down the stretch.
5:53 Griffin is really good, but he continues to rack up fouls on the Heels. He has 10 points to lead OU back to within nine. Danny Green has 14 at the half to lead the Heels who have never really gotten going. Hansbrough only played about 9 minutes and the battle we had hoped to see in Griffin and Tyler has just turned into Griffin vs. the rest of Carolina's big guys. At one point in the first half the foul total was 5-1 in favor of the UNC but then the Heels got whistled for 9 out of the next 10 fouls. That's how OU stayed in the game really, North Carolina held OU to only 8 field goals, and 0fer from 3. Oklahoma has to feel pretty good only being down nine at the break 32-23, it could have gotten away from them easily.
5:38 I just saw something I haven't seen in years, UNC forced a shot-clock violation. Heels starters playing great defense and rotating really well to stop open looks and penetration. I also just saw something else I don't think I've ever seen by this group two straight airballs, one by Ellington and one by Lawson. Heels up 28-16.
5:34 Curious officiating, both Griffins got away with a couple of reach-ins, then after Carolina went up 11 Blake Griffin gets bailed out on a bad move to the basket with a 2 shot foul. Roy has now put in the most strange line-up of Watts, Drew II, Zeller, Hansbrough, and Ellington right after they got up 11 and just like the last time he went to the bench one of the Sooners take immediate advantage. Blake Griffin abused Zeller for a powerful slam to cut the lead to 9 at the 7:50 timeout.
5:26 Hansbrough just picked up his second foul of the half on an over the back on Griffin, he heads to the bench. This could really change the game. Bobby Frasor has come in the game and Willie Warren has abused him and led OU back to 15-10. The game has definitely changed in lthe last 3 minutes. Frasor just picked up his third foul in like 3 minutes. 11 minutes left in the half Heels up 17-10.
5:17 I can't remember the last time I've seen UNC do this but they are doubling down and Griffin every time he touches it and rotating to the shooters when he passes it out. Carolina gets a nice jump hook by Ed Davis and a steal off Griffin and a transition jumper by Lawson to make it 13-2. Time out Jeff Capel.
5:10pm Heels have settled in, jumping out to a quick 7-0 lead and nailing the Sooners with 3 quick fouls. As I wrote this Taylor Griffin threw down a nasty left-handed driving dunk in traffic to get the OU fans back into it. 7-2 at the first officials time-out.
5:05pm Can North Carolina avoid the fate of Loisville and Pitt? The upsets seem to be hot right now, Hansbrough picks up an early foul on a rebound by Griffin, both teams are cold shooting.
4:57 Here come the teams and the big question mark is whether the Oklahoma backcourt can match the Heels guards Wayne Ellington, Danny Green, and especially Ty Lawson whose toe is no longer a problem. Also you gotta give the coaching nod to Roy Williams over Capel.
Alright 10 minutes to tip-off
Can North Carolina and their seniors get back to the Final Four and redeem themselves for last year's bad performance against Kansas. Tall task against player of the year Blake Griffin. Carolina favored by 7, might be a little high, we'll see.
