European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - March 26, 2007, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Monday March 26 2007 stars and stripes Page 31 tar heels ride freshman into final is hoyas matchup recalls 82 Mcaa title game won by Jordans late hoop by Ben Walker the associated press East Rutherford n j a Quarte Century ago North Carolina freshman Michael Jor Dan hit a shot to beat Georgetown in one of College basketballs most thrilling games because of freshman Brandan Wright and a bruising 180 run these tar heels will get a Chance to play the hoyas too trailing by 16 Points in the Sec Ond half the to seeded tar heels pulled off their biggest comeback of the season Friday night rallying to beat Southern California 7464 in the East regional semifinals it was a fantastic comeback to say the least coach Roy will iams said i knew we  give up at halftime i didst throw any chairs i did get a Little heated by our intensity about our Effort and about our concentration but i personally never lost Faith in our kids spurred by Williams hollering and sparked by Wrights Offen Sive rebounding the tar heels 316 turned it around despite the struggles of stars Tyler Hans Brough and to Lawson i didst know it was an 180 run Wright said when our team can make spurts like that we really Are going to be hard to Stop the Victory set up a tasty regional final sunday North Carolina is Georgetown a rematch of the 1982 championship game that Jordan won in the closing seconds earlier at the Meadowlands coach John Thompson Iii and Georgetown beat Vanderbilt 6665 on a Las second shot Thompson was a youngster sitting behind the hoyas Bench As his dad coached Georgetown in that epic game at the super dome the 25 years it seems to have gone by fast the elder Thomp son said at court Side Friday night Ive talked to Michael kidding him that i made his career Hansbrough was born three years after that game but has heard the Story i think i do know a Little bit about it he said those Guys did come Back to watch us play a game and for the reunion i think we watched a video on them it was pretty inspiring for us the tar heels and hoyas have split four games since that title matchup including North Caroli Nas Victory in the 1995 Mcaa tournament in this game the tar heels we rent motivated about duplicating history no something else stirred them to avoid becoming the first no 1 seed to lose this March probably coach Williams yell ing Lawson said fifth seeded us 2512 led 4933 with left before it All fell apart trojans coach Tim Floyd threw his program onto the court after a Call in the final minute and was whistled for a technical foul the tar heels won their seventh in a Row and it was notable previously their biggest come Back was 12 Points against win Throp Wright scored twice on Offen Sive rebounds to get the tar heels within 5749 and then was a key part of the big run that put Carolina ahead for the first time since the opening minute that a very Good team especially when they Are in the flow Winslow North Carolinas Brandan Wright goes up for two Between us defend ers Taj Gibson left and Rouse an Cromwell during the second half of Friday nights Mcaa tournament game Carolina won 7464 to reach the East regional final game against second seeded Georgetown trojans freshman Taj Gibson said i just knew it was going to be a Tough one to win North Carolina reached the round of eight for the second time under Williams who won the 2005 title with the tar heels Wright finished with 21 Points and nine rebounds to offset Hans Broughs lfor6 shooting for five Points and Lawsons four Points Gibson had 16 Points and 12 re Bounds for the trojans but foul trouble took him out of the game for much of the second half Nick Young and Lodrick Stewart each scored 15 in the first half we were Able to run out and they had a hard time locating us in transition Floyd said that stopped be cause we were taking the Ball out of the net in the second half Gabe Pitt Young and Gibson took turns throwing Down dunks in the first 20 minutes As the Tro Jans More than matched North Carolinas uptempo style Point ing their Index fingers slapping hands after big plays and popping the us on their jerseys they looked like schoolyard kids hav ing fun Southern Ca fornia scored the last eight Points of the first half for a 4233 Lead then scored the first seven after the break capped by stewarts three Point or the trojans were trying to reach the round of eight for the first time since 2001 known Pri Marily As a football school a Victory Over the tar heels woul Dve clearly boosted their National pro file hoyas Georgetown Steps up with Hibbert on Bench hoyas from Back Page the sixth seeded commodores had taken a 6564 Lead with 179 seconds to play when Dan Cage hit two free throws after being fouled while grabbing the re bound of Patrick Ewing hrs missed jumper after setting up a play during the timeout Jessie Sapp took the inbound pass and gave it to Green at the foul line and let the 6foot9 Junior Forward go to work Well the play was to try to look for the backdoor Green said then after that just try to get something toward the Basket when i went into my move i kind of fumbled it a Little hurried up tried to find it pick it up just tried to get it up off the Glass and it went in that was a Good play a Fum ble play a Bumble play i had to make i got Lucky and it went in equally impressive was the hoyas ability to win without hib Bert he fouled out with to play with 12 Points and 10 re Bounds mostly in the second half Down the stretch his team mates made up for his absence Green converted a three Point play Sapp hit his Only two baskets and Jonathan Wallace made a big jumper with 63 seconds left to give Georgetown a 6461 Lead Derrick Byars the coaches pick As Sec player of the year Cut the deficit to a Point with two free throws with 488 seconds left and Cage put Vandy ahead with his free throws that set the stage for George towns Best player to come through with its big Man Only Able to sit and watch he is our Best player Sapp said so we gave it to him and said take us to the next round Green did freshman Dajuan Summers added 15 Points for Georgetown including three three pointers in the second half Cage and Byars had 17 Points apiece to Lead Vanderbilt looking to reach the regional final for the second time in school history Mcaa tournament opening round at us Arena Dayton Ohio tuesday March 13 Niagara 77 Florida 69 East regional first round thursday March 15 at Winston satan no Boston College 84 Texas tech 75 Georgetown 80 belmont55 Michigan state 61 Marquette 49 North Carolina 86 Eastern Kentucky 65 at Sacramento Calif Washington state 70 Oral Roberts 54 Vanderbilt 77 George Washington 44 Friday March 16 at Spokane Wash Texas 79 new Mexico state 67 Southern California 77 Arkansas 60 second round saturday March 17 at Winston Stem no Georgetown 62 Boston College 55 North Carolina 81 Michigan state 67 at Sacramento Calif Vanderbilt 78 Washington state 7420t sunday March 18 at Spokane Wash Southern California 87 Texas 68 regional semifinals Friday March 23 at East Rutherford no Georgetown 66 Vanderbilt 65 North Carolina 74 Southern California 64 regional championship sunday March 25 at East Rutherford n j Georgetown 296 is North Carolina 316 South regional first round thursday March 15 at Lexington by Louisville 78 Stanford 58 Texas 68 Pennsylvania 52 Ohio state 78 Central Conn state 57 Xavier 79 Brigham Young 77 Friday March 16 at Columbus Ohio Virginia 84 Albany by 7 Tennessee 121 Long Beach state 86 at new Orleans Memphis 73 North Texas 58 Nevada 77 Creighton 71 of second round saturday March 17 at Lexington by Ohio state 78 xavier71 of Texas 72 Louisville 69 sunday March 18 at Columbus Ohio Tennessee 77 Virginia 74 at new Orleans Memphis 78 Nevada 62 regional semifinals thursday March 22 at san Antonio Memphis 65 Texas 64 Ohio state 85 Tennessee 84 regional championship saturday March 24 at san Antonio Memphis 333 is Ohio state 333 Midwest regional first round thursday March 15 at Buffalo by Maryland 82 Davidson 70 Butler 57 old Dominion 46 Friday March 16 at Chicago univ 67 Georgia tech 63 wis 76 Texas Christ 63 at Spokane Wash Winthrop 74 notre Dame 64 Oregon 58 Miami Ohio 56 at new Orleans Purdue 72 Arizona 63 Florida 112 Jackson state 69 second round saturday March 17 at Buffalo by Butler 62 Maryland 59 sunday March 18 at Chicago univ 74 Wisconsin 68 at Spokane Wash Oregon 75 Winthrop 61 at new Orleans Florida 74 Purdue 67 regional semifinals Friday March 23 at Edward Jones dome St Louis Florida 65 Butler 57 Oregon 76 univ 72 regional championship sunday March 25 at so Louis Florida 325 is Oregon 297 West regional first round thursday March 15 at Buffalo by Virginia Commonwealth 79 Duke 77 Pittsburgh 79 Wright state 58 at Sacramento Calif Urcla 70 Weber state 42 Indiana 70 Gonzaga 57 Friday March 16 at Chicago Kansas 107 Niagara 67 Kentucky 67 Vifian ova 58 at Columbus Ohio Virginia tech 54 Illinois 52 Southern Illinois 61 holy Cross 51 second round saturday March 17 at Buffalo by Pittsburgh 84 a Commonwealth 79 of at Sacramento Calif Urcla 54 Indiana 49 sunday March 18 at Columbus Ohio Southern Illinois 63 Virginia tech 48 at Chicago Kansas 88 Kentucky 76 regional semifinals thursday March 22 at san Jose Calif Kansas 61 Southern Illinois 58 Urcla 64 Pittsburgh 55 regional championship saturday March 24 at san Jose Calif Kansas 334 is Urcla 295 final four at the Georgia dome Atlanta National semifinals saturday March 31 East Champion is South Champion Midwest Champion is West Champion National championship monday april 2