Roy Williams got his 700th win and the No. 8 North Carolina Tar Heels nearly squandered a 20-point lead as they pushed past the No. 9 Villanova Wildcats to advance to the third round, 78-71, on Friday evening.
2013 NCAA Tournament bracket, UNC vs. Villanova: Roy Williams gets win number 700 as Tar Heels advance
The Tar Heels went up by 20 early in the game, but in the spirit of March Madness, Villanova came roaring back to make it tough as Roy Williams got his 700th career win and the Tar Heels advanced to the third round of the NCAA Tournament.
Ed Zurga
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It was all North Carolina all the time in the beginning of the first half, with the Tar Heels leading, 32-12, with seven minutes left. But Villanova would go on a 28-8 run to close out the first half and start the second to make it a game worthy of March Madness.
Every time the Tar Heels seemed to extend enough of a lead for Roy Williams to light the candles on his Happy 700th Win cake, the Wildcats came roaring back to make it a one-possession game. The Tar Heels used big outside shots to extend each lead, going 11 of 21 from beyond the arc. But North Carolina had a hard time getting past the Villanova press, turning the ball over 18 times.
The Wildcats struggled with their outside shot, not hitting a three until the second half and finishing just 4 for 21 from beyond the arc. They kept it close by heading inside, pounding the Tar Heels inside the paint.
Assuming No. 1 Kansas wins later on Friday evening, this victory sets up Williams with a game against the team he coached for 418 of his 700 total wins. The two teams have met just twice since then, with Kansas winning both games.
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