North Carolina Races to Another Final Four, Beats Notre Dame

The latest from the Elite Eight of the NCAA's March Madness

Syracuse 68, Virginia 62

Brice Johnson had 25 points and 12 rebounds to lead North Carolina to an 88-74 victory over Notre Dame on Sunday night, leaving the Tar Heels as the only No. 1 seed in the Final Four.

The Tar Heels reached the Final Four for a record 19th time and the first since 2009, when they won the last of their five national championships.

North Carolina (32-6) will face Syracuse, the 10th seed from the Midwest Regional, in another all-Atlantic Coast Conference matchup in the Final Four on Saturday in Houston. The Orange beat top-seeded Virginia 68-62.

The halves were very different. In the first, the teams went shot for shot with both teams shooting over 58 percent and neither leading by more than six points.

The second half was run for run and the Tar Heels, taking control of the boards, had the last and biggest one to seize control over the final 10 minutes.

Syracuse 68, Virginia 62

Malachi Richardson scored 23 points and Syracuse went on a huge run in the second half to beat top-seeded Virginia 68-62 in the Midwest Regional final of the NCAA Tournament on Sunday night.

The Orange advanced to their first Final Four since 2013 and sixth overall thanks to a big surge down the stretch. They scored 15 straight to turn a nine-point deficit into a 64-58 lead with 3:27 remaining and hung on in the closing minutes.

Malcolm Brogdon hit two free throws for Virginia to make it 64-62 with 27 seconds left, but the Cavaliers simply couldn't wipe out the deficit.

Syracuse's Michael Gbinje made one of two free throws and Tyler Lydon hit two more to make it 67-62 with nine seconds left.

Villanova 64, Kansas 59

A defensive stand by Villanova with a three-point lead sealed a victory over Kansas in one of the most tense and competitive games of the NCAA Tournament. It will send the Wildcats to the Final Four.

Villanova beat top-overall seed Kansas 64-59 to go to the Final Four for the first time since 2009.

Ryan Arcidiacono, the birthday boy, poked the ball away from Frank Mason and Mikal Bridges came up with it with just a few seconds left. The Wildcats wrapped it up from the line.

Villanova will face Oklahoma in Houston next Saturday. Big East against Big 12. It's a rematch from an early season game won by the Sooners 78-55.

Oklahoma 80, Oregon 68

Buddy Hield was brilliant from start to finish for Oklahoma, scoring 37 points with a fluid jumper and an answer for everything Oregon tried against him defensively.

In fact, there was only one remaining question after Hield climbed a stepladder to cut down the net that he had just set on fire in the West Region final of the NCAA Tournament.

Hield hit eight 3-pointers in another utterly dominant performance, and Oklahoma advanced to its first Final Four since 2002 with an 80-68 victory over Oregon on Saturday. 

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