North Carolina runs away from Indiana, 101-86, in Sweet 16

North Carolina runs away from Indiana, 101-86, in Sweet 16

North Carolina runs away from Indiana, 101-86, in Sweet 16, North Carolina keeps on scoring and keeps on acceptable and the Tar Heels are one achievement from their aboriginal Final Four in seven years.

Marcus Paige started the Tar Heels' absorbing cutting achievement with four aboriginal 3-pointers and he accomplished with 21 credibility as North Carolina connected its abhorrent prowess, affective to the Elite Eight for the 20th time back 1975 with a 101-86 achievement over Indiana on Friday night in the East Regional.

The top-seeded Tar Heels (31-6) will accommodated sixth-seeded Notre Dame on Sunday, chargeless one of two affirmed Atlantic Coast Appointment spots in the Final Four. The Fighting Irish exhausted Wisconsin 61-56 on Friday.

It will be the aforementioned case in the Midwest Regional, area top-seeded Virginia will face 10th-seeded Syracuse, acceptation at atomic bisected the Final Four will be from the ACC. Back the East and Midwest champions play in the Final Four, the appointment will accept a aggregation play for the civic title.

"Definitely doesn't abruptness me based on the superior of play in our alliance this year, it was fantastic," Paige said of the ACC's postseason success. "Top to basal we had some absolutely aggressive games."

The Tar Heels and Fighting Irish breach their two amateur in the approved season. Notre Dame won at home 80-76 and the Tar Heels did the aforementioned 78-47.

Brice Johnson had 20 credibility and 10 rebounds for the Tar Heels, who are in the bounded final for the seventh time in drillmaster Roy Williams' 12 years and for the aboriginal time back 2012.

Yogi Ferrell had 25 credibility to advance Indiana (27-8) while Troy Williams added 21.

Kennedy Meeks had 15 credibility for the Tar Heels while Justin Jackson and Joel Berry II both had 14.

"A lot of humans accept been saying, `Carolina's not cutting the brawl able-bodied outside,'" Berry said. "We accept the shooters, it's just we wish to play central out and not force so abounding 3s. Sometimes you can await on 3s so much, you get abroad from acquirements how to account inside."

Paige accomplished with six 3s, attached the North Carolina NCAA Tournament almanac set by Shammond Williams in 1998. Both did it in nine attempts.

"When you get that aboriginal one to go down, it's consistently a abundant affair for your confidence," Paige said. "And afresh I was able to get chargeless a brace of times appropriate afterwards that and get appealing acceptable looks at the rim."

North Carolina has denticulate at atomic 83 credibility in anniversary of its three NCAA Tournament amateur and the Tar Heels kept up their absurd cutting from the second-round win over Providence.

With Paige arch the way, the Tar Heels had addition bisected cutting bigger than 60 percent. They fabricated 18 of 29 shots (62.1 percent), including 7 of 8 3-point attempts and they absent one of 10 chargeless throws. They weren't abreast 60 percent in the additional half, finishing at 51.6 percent for the bold (32 of 62).

The Tar Heels were scoring about at will, abnormally inside, area the Hoosiers were no bout for Meeks, Johnson and Jackson.

This was the 28th beeline bold North Carolina captivated its adversary to beneath 50 percent shooting. Alone Maryland (50.8 percent) hit added than bisected its shots adjoin the Tar Heels this season.

"It's acutely exciting," Paige said of getting one win from the Final Four. "It was one of the things we've talked about all year as one of the goals we set. So to be one bold abroad is abundantly exciting. And to accept baffled a abundant Indiana to get there, it feels absolutely good."

North Carolina led by as abounding as 22 credibility and Indiana was able to get aural 10 credibility three times in the additional half.

"They were consistently authoritative shots inside, outside, to alpha the game," Ferrell said. "Going up adjoin a abundant aggregation like North Carolina, you can't appear out to a apathetic start. Got to be exhausted on all cylinders. We couldn't stop them to alpha the game."

Paige couldn't absence early, hitting four 3-pointers and a jumper afore he assuredly missed. The alone affair that slowed him down was fouls -- he best up his additional amid through the aboriginal bisected and spent the blow of it on the bench.

"Marcus was authoritative video bold shots to alpha the game," Crean said. "I beggarly seriously. He's a amazing player. ... But we never got him beneath ascendancy with what we capital to do on the wings."

The Tar Heels led by as abounding as 16 credibility in the aboriginal bisected but Indiana denticulate the final 5 credibility of the bisected to get aural 52-41.

The bold was played afore a sellout army of 20,686 at Wells Fargo Center.

TWICE BEFORE:

This was the third time these schools met in the NCAA Tournament and Indiana won both antecedent games. The Hoosiers exhausted the Tar Heels for the civic championship in 1981 and they exhausted them afresh in 1984 in what angry out to be the endure academy bold for Michael Jordan.

TIP-INS:

Indiana: The Hoosiers became the seventh aggregation to play in 100 NCAA Tournament games. They accept a 66-34 record. ... Indiana entered the bold with four wins over Top 25 teams. ... Indiana had never absent an NCAA Tournament bold in Philadelphia, across-the-board the Final Four in 1976 and 1981 for two of its 5 civic championships. .. The Hoosiers are 5-4 best adjoin No. 1 seeds.

North Carolina: The Tar Heels entered the bold with 5 wins over Top 25 teams. ... The Tar Heels are 4-1 in NCAA Tournament amateur in Philadelphia. ... Former Tar Heels Rasheed Wallace and Wayne Ellington were sitting next to anniversary added a part of the Carolina fans.

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