NCAA hoops: North Carolina dismantles Marquette
NEWARK, N.J. (AP) – North Carolina is back and put the whole package – offense, defense and toughness – on display while dismantling Marquette.
Just a year after missing the NCAA party, the kids from Chapel Hill stole the show at their East Regional semifinal.
Tyler Zeller had 27 points and 15 rebounds, and North Carolina took control early for a change, rolling to an 81-63 victory on Friday night at the Prudential Center.
John Henson added 14 points and 12 rebounds, and Harrison Barnes added 20 points and six rebounds as the second-seeded Tar Heels (29-7) moved to within a game of reaching the Final Four for the third time in four years.
Kansas 77, Richmond 57
SAN ANTONIO – In an NCAA regional full of underdogs, Kansas played like the dominant No. 1 seed it is.
Brady Morningstar scored 18 points and the Jayhawks (35-2) got one win from returning to the Final Four for the first time since their 2008 championship. They await the winner of 11th-seeded Virginia Commonwealth and 10th-seeded Florida State.
The Southwest regional is the first in NCAA history with three double-digit seeded teams. But the Spiders looked jittery in the school’s second round-of-16 appearance.
The Jayhawks? They were calm and confident in reaching a fourth regional final under coach Bill Self.
Justin Harper led Richmond (29-8) with 22 points.