The unlikely hero has been a key for Carolina in back-to-back NCAA Tournament games. And the other side experienced a heartbreaking, last-second loss that will be remembered for years to come.
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North Carolina Tar Heels forward Luke Maye (32) reacts with Tar Heels forward Theo Pinson (1) after making a basket with.3 seconds left against the Kentucky Wildcats in the second half during the finals of the South Regional of the 2017 NCAA Tournament at FedExForum.
Freshman Malik Monk (Lepanto, Bentonville High School) tried to lift the Wildcats with two three-pointers in 30 seconds that tied the game 73-73 with seven seconds to play, but North Carolina had an answer.
“He was penetrating toward the basket and kind of picked my man a little bit”, Maye said. “I don’t have words for how I felt”.
For Maye, it was the greatest moment of his career.
The North Carolina Tar Heels now are a win away from getting back to a national championship game they narrowly lost a year ago.
Calipari was not happy with the officiating but credited North Carolina for what it did. “And what a big-time shot by Luke”. “I feel like we need some security around campus”. Laettner’s embrace of his villainy is one of his redeeming qualities, and we often forget that Laettner went on to a lengthy National Basketball Association career afterward. Maye’s shot left Kentucky only a final gasp that never materialized as senior Derek Willis’ length of the court pass sailed out of bounds.
As with all of his teams at Kentucky, Calipari remained true to his roots even during times of adversity and said the players accepted structure and discipline within the program. “I needed to stop that right there”. Junior guard Joel Berry II said last season helped the Tar Heels know what it takes to play at this stage. Because I won’t watch this tape. I’ve watched a thousand tapes. They’d meet the victor of the other Final Four matchup between No. 1 seed Gonzaga and No. 7 seed SC.
Then there’s Martin, whose seventh-seeded Gamecocks (26-10) upset East No. 2 Duke – the preseason No. 1-ranked team – and No. 3 seed Baylor before Sunday’s win against Florida in NY. The Wildcats were in tears in the locker room.
Monk also enjoyed what likely will be his only tour of duty with the Wildcats. Dominique Hawkins came off the bench to finish with 10. The Tar Heels can earn a return trip by beating OR on Saturday in Glendale, Ariz. “And we just said, ‘we’re going back to these two things and we’re going to get better at them and they bought in”.
“I’m not anxious about that”, Fox said. “It just shows, with hard work, you can continue to play and you can be a great player”.
When North Carolina basketball squared off against Kentucky on December 17 in Las Vegas, many dubbed that game as “the game of the year”.
Maye, who was so instrumental in UNC’s 92-80 victory against Butler on Friday night in the regional semifinal, again played a starring role on Sunday. Duke’s Dick Groat had 48 in a 1952 game. North Carolina spent several minutes using a backcourt of Nate Britt and Stilman White, a former walk-on. The Tar Heels finished this game with a 16-9 run.
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