If you wanted excitement from North Carolina and Washington, you got it: only a failed attempt to get a buzzer-beating game-tying shot from Isaiah Thomas allowed the Tar Heels to escape a fierce Huskies team that ran with them all day with an 86-83 victory that will allow Carolina to advance to a Sweet Sixteen matchup in Newark.
NCAA Bracket Update: North Carolina Escapes Washington, 86-83, Advances To Sweet 16
Tyler Zeller’s 23 points led all scorers, and Harrison Barnes added 22, but Kendall Marshall’s 13 points and 14 assists — a new record for a Tar Heel in an NCAA Tournament game — paced the Heels, who recovered from a slow start in the first half to score just enough to keep a small lead throughout the second period.
Terrence Ross, held scoreless in Washington’s first NCAA Tournament game, scored 19 to lead the Huskies, but jacked up a bad three in the final minute and helped force Washington to take a three to tie at the end. And Thomas struggled, making just five of 15 shots and taking that final shot from just inside the three-point line; despite a questionable non-call on a John Henson attempt at the shot near the basket, it would only have narrowed the Heels’ margin of victory.
Here is an updated look at the East Region of the 2011 NCAA Tournament bracket.
THIRD ROUND
No. 1 Ohio State vs. No. 8 George Mason, Sunday
No. 4 Kentucky def. No. 5 West Virginia; will face Ohio State/George Mason winner
No. 3 Syracuse vs. No. 11 Marquette, Sunday
No. 2 North Carolina def. No. 7 Washington; will face BYU/Gonzaga winner
For more, North Carolina fans should head over to Carolina March, while Washington fans should check out UW Dawg Pound.
Other March Madness resources: Our updated printable 2011 NCAA Tournament bracket and the full March Madness schedule.
See More:
