NEW YORK – Entering the Coaches vs. Cancer final respective coaches Roy Williams of North Carolina and Syracuse’s Jim Boeheim were in agreement it would a game of spurts. It turned out to be that way and Syracuse had a definitive run that allowed the Orange to post an 87-71 victory in the championship.
Trailing 39-37 at the break Syracuse went on a transition-fueled 22-3 run over the initial 8 minutes of the second half to regain the lead and pull away. “They were hitting their shots we were not,” North Carolina coach Roy Williams said. “We were committing turnovers and began to get frustrated.” During the course of those frenzied 8 minutes, North Carolina actually had more air balls (3) than made field goals (1).
North Carolina made a run to make it a three-possession game midway through the final half. Syracuse responded and pulled away. The Tar Heels, who enjoy a fast pace, struggled in transition against the Orange. UNC was guilty of 19 turnovers on the evening. The Orange guard combination of Andy Rautins (11 points, 7 assists, 7 steals ), Scoop Jardine (6 points and 4 assists) and Brandon Triche (11 points) ran the break, hit the open shots and distributed the ball. Beneficiaries of those passes included Wes Johnson (a game-high 25 points) and Arinze Onauku (15 points), the latter of who established a strong inside game.
The play in the paint was a Syracuse strong point both nights. As Boeheim pointed out after the semifinal win, last year’s team was guard-oriented. This year, there are some good big men, so some of the emphasis has changed.
North Carolina knows. The Tar Heels won the rebounding battle 42-37. Ed Davis led UNC with 16 points and 10 boards. But Deon Thompson , who scored 11 for UNC, shot 3 of 8 from the floor and was affected on a number of occasions by Syracuse’s size. In the end result North Carolina had no answer for Johnson who added a team high 8 rebounds.
“We couldn’t guard Johnson,” Williams said. “He’s quick , can shoot the threes and is tough inside. We couldn’t handle him.”
That was a major reason the Tar Heels went down to defeat.
- In the consolation, Ohio State edged California 76-60. Evan Turner of OSU and Cal’s fine guard Jerome Randle shared scoring honors with 26 points. Turner had the dubious triple double against UNC (23 points, 11 boards and 10 turnovers). Following that contest he was emphatic on cutting down on the number. Turner had four turnovers against California, which went a long way toward Thad Matta’s team exiting New York with a split.
- California was minus wing Theo Robertson, who was injured and listed day-to-day but never played. The 6-6 Robertson is an 18 PPG scorer and a three-point threat. As a result Mike Montgomery’s club saw zones both days. Syracuse plays the 2-3 as its signature defense. Operating on less than 24 hours rest and with Robertson out, Ohio State opted to zone.With Robertson out the Golden bears may see a lot more zone. They received solid performances from Randle both nights (he had 25 against Syracuse). In the end, the big men need work and need to establish themselves inside. Ohio state blocked 11 shots and Syracuse (9) as the Golden Bears struggled with both opponents size.
- Given the traditions of the schools UNC and Syracuse had not met since the 1987 East Regional Finals at Meadowlands Arena. Syracuse with a freshman Derrick Coleman upset the Tar Heels to punch their Final Four ticket. A common thread from that game and Friday was a Triche. Brandon Triche’s uncle Howard Triche played on that Syracuse team in ’87.
Interestingly, California and Syracuse had what their first-ever basketball meeting in the semis. - Attendance exceeded 15,000 both nights. The national draw especially of North Carolina and Syracuse was a huge factor. Vocal, orange-clad Syracuse following made it look like a Big East Tournament game in March.
All-Tournament Team:
Andy Rautins (SU)
Evan Turner(OSU)
Jerome Randle(Cal)
Marcus Ginyard(UNC)
Wes Johnson (SU) MVP
Quotable
- “He doesn’t force. He takes good shots, rebounds and is a good defensive player. He lets the game come to him.” – Syracuse coach Jim Boeheim on Wesley Johnson, the Orange forward who earned MVP honors.
- Boeheim on his guards: “Andy (Rautins), Brandon (Triche), Scoop (Jardine)… a lot of people were worried about our guards coming into the season. They are all very good and will only get better.”
On The Baseline
With football season in full force, North Carolina was the only school that sent cheerleaders. For the UNC group it was an easy stop en route to Boston College where they cheered their Tar Heels (to victory) on Saturday.
