OR struggled shooting from the perimeter and gave up two offensive rebounds on missed free throws in the final 6 seconds, leading to a disheartening 77-76 loss to North Carolina in the Final Four on Saturday night.
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Meeks, the only Tar Heel who could shoot straight Saturday night, grabbed the game-saving offensive rebound in a 77-76 victory over OR after the ice-cold Tar Heels missed their fourth straight free throw down the stretch.
OR went up 30-22 with 4:08 to go on a Dylan Ennis 3-pointer, but the Ducks committed four turnovers the rest of the half as the Tar Heels ended on 17-6 run to lead 39-36 at the break.
Meeks matched his career high with 25 points and grabbed 14 rebounds, the last to preserve the victory after the last of North Carolina’s four missed free throws in the final 6 seconds. Two missed free throws by the Tar Heels resulted in a backbreaking offensive rebound.
North Carolina got both offensive rebounds – one by Theo Pinson, the other by Meeks – despite having the natural disadvantage on the block.
North Carolina did everything it could to keep OR in the game, but the Ducks refused to take advantage.
WRONG. Meeks missed the second charity shot, and North Carolina got the board.
“I just didn’t want to lose another game off a winning shot”, said Joel Berry II, whose second missed FT got scooped up by Meeks.
Gonzaga will play in its first NCAA men’s basketball title game after edging SC 77-73 on Saturday in the national semifinals.
They would lead the entire second half, even if it wasn’t easy, fouling too much, still struggling to get anyone but Meeks and Jackson going.
The Ducks never got the chance. Twice, they missed both free throws. Bell appeared to corral the second off the backboard, but Meeks wrestled it away from him, allowing the Tar Heels to drain the clock and advance to the national title game against Gonzaga.
North Carolina made only 5 of its first 20 shots and OR committed eight turnovers in the game’s first 11 minutes.
What a weird ending.
If he does go pro, his college career will end with the national championship game against North Carolina on Monday night. Facing its largest deficit of the tournament so far, UNC locked in and finished the half on a 17-6 run thanks to some inspired play from seniors Nate Britt and Kennedy Meeks.
“He was the guy that kept us in there”, junior Justin Jackson said. “We talk about it all the time because it happens all the time”. Because there are only those fleeting moments to enjoy a Saturday victory at the Final Four before reality of the bigger game Monday night intrudes. “I wish we could have won, but it was still a blast”. Justin Jackson added 22 for the Tar Heels, hitting 4 of 9 from behind the arc and adding six at the line. “I sat down with my parents and they said, ‘Just be the best you you can be”. OR stars Tyler Dorsey and Dillon Brooks couldn’t, either, and the Ducks also made countless mistakes. Over the Ducks’ five tourney games, Bell averaged 12.5 points and 13.2 rebounds per game, including 16 against the Tar Heels.
“Obviously the turnovers really hurt us”, OR coach Dana Altman said.
But Thornwell and the Gamecocks came storming back in the second half, down by as many as 11 points early in the second half.
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“Coach told us it was going to be a man’s game, and us four big men had to do a great job on the inside”, Meeks said. Dillon Brooks fouled out with 10 points on 2 of 11 shooting.
