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The Kansas Jayhawks completed their chase for a national championship by defeating the North Carolina Tar Heels 72-69 on Monday night.
It was a historic game as the Jayhawks (34-6) trailed by 15 points at halftime. After outscoring UNC 31-10 in the first 10 minutes of the second half, Kansas and North Carolina (29-10) went toe-to-toe until the final moments.
Kansas' 16-point comeback (down 38-22 late in the first half) was the largest in the history of the championship game. The previous record for the largest comeback was held by Loyola, which beat Cincinnati 60-58 after trailing by 15 points in 1963.
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North Carolina, which was 46-0 in the NCAA Tournament when leading by double digits at halftime, did not score in the final 1:41. Kansas big man David McCormack's jump hook gave KU a 70-69 lead with 1:21 to play. Another of his jump hooks pushed that lead to 72-69 with 22 seconds remaining.
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A KU turnover in the final few seconds gave the Tar Heels one last chance to send the game into overtime. But Caleb Love's 3-point shot fell short.
Kansas Jayhawks complete historic comeback against North Carolina
It wasn't an easy final victory for the Kansas Jayhawks but the team showed great determination to climb back and create pressure against North Carolina.
Kansas opened up attacking lanes by changing its offense to draw UNC rim protector Armando Bacot away from the basket. Plus, the Jayhawks pushed the tempo. After turning up their effort defensively, KU was out running again, doing a fantastic job of using defense to create offense.
In Kansas' gritty performance, a number of players stepped up. Junior wing Christian Braun played all 40 minutes, finishing with 12 points, 12 rebounds and three assists. He also showcased some sensational defense on a number of key possessions.
It was an impressive comeback victory for Kansas.
Senior guard Remy Martin continued to be a crucial piece off the bench, finishing with 14 points and three rebounds. Senior forward David McCormack was outstanding down the stretch for Kansas, including a pair of buckets in the final 1:22. McCormack finished with 15 points and 10 rebounds.
Kansas won its fourth national championship and the second under Bill Self, on Monday night. He also led KU to the title in 2008.
