Carolina dominates, but says it can play better
Mar 28, 2009
The North Carolina Tar Heels were simply dominant, from opening tap to final whistle. The Heels put on the kind of performance you expect to see against a non conference lesser light not a Sweet Sixteen regular. Yet Carolina treated the Gonzaga Bulldogs like a fifth place team from some mid major conference that dared challenge their authority, en route to a 98-77 victory that sets up a match-up with Oklahoma in the Elite Eight.
Everything that Carolina wanted to do they did, even though the game opened at break-neck speed, the Heels trailed 3-2 38 seconds in, after a Ty Lawson three to make it 5-3 the Heels never trailed. Yes they were that good. Offensively the team moved the ball up the floor with ease as Gonzaga chose to run with them for some odd reason and Ty Lawson and his toe are just fine. Lawson was one of four Tar Heels in double figures with 19 points, he dished out 9 assists and after the game said that his toe felt better than after the LSU game.
Tyler Hansbrough who told me after the game that he remembered that night at Madison Square Garden against Gonzaga two years ago added extra motivation was the emotional leader and pulled down a double-double 24 points and 10 boards. Hansbrough in the second half couldn’t be stopped.
Carolina made 36 baskets and had 23 assists, that is a phenomenal ratio on offense, but defensively the team got stronger as the game moved on. The Bulldogs were shooting 55% from the floor halfway through the first, but the Heels defensive effort lead to a steady decline and the Bulldogs shot just 46.6%.
Carolina dominated in every statistical category, and the scary part for the rest of the teams still playing the team felt they could play better. In the locker room after Danny Green said that this was not the team’s best performance and they could start even better. Scary part number two he is right.
Gonzaga was supposed to be ready for this, not afraid of the Tar Heel blue and would show the nation that they can play big time basketball. When it came time to pay the check the Zags were woefully short. Carolina meanwhile, has the look of a team that understands how good they are, but knows there is better on the horizon. Sunday around 5:05 Eastern we’ll find out just how much better the Heels can be.
