The Tar Heels did everything wrong stat wise on Monday night in Phoenix, yet still found a way to win the NCAA basketball national championship. UNC shot 4-27 from 3-point land. Their free throw shooting was a meager 58%. They were outrebounded by Gonzaga, which many thought wouldn’t happen. Even the Bulldogs head coach, Mark Few, said that his kids did everything he asked them to do.
Everything wasn’t good enough. With all the woes the Tar Heels faced throughout the night, they still managed to complete the victory to a tune of 71-65. Despite suffering sprained ankles on both feet, junior guard, Joel Berry II, had a game high 22 points. Berry also finished the game in high company. He became the first player since Bill Walton in the 1972-73 season to have 20 points in back-to-back championship game.
Of course, Villanova pulled out the win in the 2016 game with a last second buzzer beater winning 3-point shot. Berry and his teammates weren’t going to allow that to happen two years in a row. He said that the media timeout around the 3 minute mark of the game allowed the guys to refocus on not wanting to feel the sting of defeat two years in row. Now Berry is in the company of the legendary Bill Walton.
Flip the page to find out how Berry feels about accomplishing back-to-back 20-point championship games.