North Carolina went on a late run to build a 40-25 halftime lead over top-seeded Kansas. The surprisingly one-sided start is one of the most lopsided beginnings in the history of the men’s NCAA tournament.
According to David Worlock, NCAA Director of Media Coordination/Statistics, only three title clashes have gone into halftime with a larger point discrepancy.
Largest halftime leads in tournament history:
21-North Carolina vs. Michigan St., 2009
18-Ohio St. vs. California, 1960
18-UCLA vs. Dayton, 1967
15-UConn vs. Georgia Tech, 2004
15-North Carolina vs. Kansas, 2022— David Worlock (@DavidWorlock) April 5, 2022
The Tar Heels match the 2004 UConn Huskies for the fourth-biggest halftime advantage in tournament history.
Bad news for Kansas: The other four teams all maintained their sizable intermission leads to preserve a double-digit victory.
Despite dealing with an ankle injury suffered over the weekend, Armando Bacot already secured his sixth double-double of the tournament with 12 points and 10 rebounds at the break. Meanwhile, no Jayhawks player exceeded eight points.
Although North Carolina only shot 12-of-33 from the floor and 3-of-11 from three-point range, the No. 8 seed built a hefty cushion by making 13 of 16 free throws. On the other hand, Kansas only got to the line four times. The Jayhawks also made just two shots from behind the arc while losing the rebound battle, 27-19.
Things aren’t looking great for Kansas entering the second half. Can Bill Self’s squad pull off an all-time comeback in New Orleans?
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