UNC's dream run ends in exhaustion
Associated Press
INDIANAPOLIS -- The reaching fouls, missed free throws,
turnovers and the faltering defense down the stretch -- all were
unmistakable signs that North Carolina was exhausted.
|  | | The long faces on Orlando Melendez, Max Owens, and Terrence Newby tell the story of UNC's defeat. |
Ultimately, the Tar Heels just couldn't keep up with talented and deep Florida in a 71-59 loss in the NCAA Tournament semifinals Saturday night.
"They just threw the waves at us and it certainly was a factor," coach Bill Guthridge said.
Starters Joseph Forte and Jason Capel fouled out and Ed Cota and
Brendan Haywood finished with four each. Guthridge surrendered
against the pressing Gators with 15 seconds left, taking out his
remaining starters as North Carolina lost its fourth straight in
the national semifinals dating to 1995.
Florida coach Billy Donovan said that midway through the second
half "about the 10-minute mark, we started to wear them down."
North Carolina (22-14) finished with its highest loss total
since going 12-15 in 1951-52 under coach Tom Scott.
After four straight victories in a surprising run as a No. 8
seed, it was suddenly over for the Tar Heels.
"People called our tournament a fluke," Forte said. "The real
fluke is the way we played in the regular season."
North Carolina was tied with Florida at 50-50 midway through the
second half, but frustration and foul trouble were not far away.
Cota already had four fouls and was relieved of his
press-breaking duties, while Forte was called for a technical foul
for elbowing Major Parker, who also got a technical.
"My team wasn't comfortable with me playing with four fouls and
my approach was different," said Cota, who finished his career 0-3
in Final Four games. "I wasn't being as aggressive."
Four turnovers later against the press, Florida led 62-54 and
the Tar Heels were gasping for air.
"We started playing up and down -- Florida basketball -- and that
really hurt us," Haywood said.
Signs of a comeback faded with two missed free throws by Forte
and one by Haywood with 2:44 left and the Tar Heels down by seven.
"When they went up seven late, I looked at our guys and it was
clear we didn't have the firepower to (come back) again," Forte
said.
The 7-foot Haywood scored 16 points in the first half, but had only four in the second.
"In the second half our big guys stepped up and didn't do as
much fouling," Parker said. "We followed the game plan, which was
to front him and pack the lane in. We forced him to shoot jump
hooks instead of dunks."
North Carolina shot less than 40 percent in each of its last
three Final Four semifinals losses and was headed that way again
after a horrid offensive start against the fired-up Gators.
Florida's press didn't bother the Tar Heels early so much as its
poor shooting, starting 1-for-8 from the field. And while North
Carolina did have six turnovers in the opening eight minutes, most
came down low on balls stripped from the big men.
"I thought our guys had great intensity to start the game,"
Donovan said. "North Carolina took some ill-advised shots."
Donovan said he was proud to beat two schools from the powerful
Atlantic Coast Conference in the NCAA Tournament.
"To beat Duke and to beat Carolina speaks volumes for our
league because those two programs have been models for success,"
Donovan said.
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