Heels win title in convincing fashion

North Carolina’s battle-scarred veterans won the one significant game missing from their resumes, defeating Michigan State 89-72 Monday in the NCAA Tournament championship.

Playing at Ford Field in front of 72,922 — the biggest crowd to watch an NCAA Tournament game — UNC roared to a 24-point lead in the first half, settled for a 55-34 halftime lead, and then fought through another tough second half to withstand a Michigan State run.

The Spartans cut the lead to 78-65 with 4:46 left, taking advantage of the Tar Heels’ cold shooting, but got no closer. Ty Lawson drove down the right side of the lane for a layup with 4:07 left, settling UNC and starting a 6-0 run that sealed the victory.

“I’m the luckiest coach in America, I can tell you that,“ Roy Williams of UNC said.

Bill Cole is a staff writer at the Winston-Salem Journal.