All things considered, the Illini had to feel encouraged.
Down 15 points with 18 minutes to go against North Carolina in the NCAA title game Monday night was practically a luxury compared with the 15-point deficit they faced with 4:04 remaining against Arizona 10 days ago.
And so, the Illini guards went to work. Again.
In a span of four minutes early in the second half, Luther Head would forget his shooting woes of the first half, Dee Brown would shake off Raymond Felton and Deron Williams would do what Deron Williams does as the Illini proceeded to reel off a 13-2 run to pull to within 49-42.
Head, who was most conspicuous with his early shooting struggles, would score eight of Illinois’ 14 points during that span on two 3s and a reverse layup in transition, while Williams added five points to give Illinois new hope.
The guards, with their now-legendary defensive pressure and ice-cool composure, would take over for the Illini while forward James Augustine was relegated to the bench with four fouls before he fouled out with 6:49 left. Illinois would come as close as 52-50 as the three guards contributed 21 of 23 points to begin the second half.
With 2:01 left, Williams missed a 3-pointer that would have given the Illini their first lead since 17-16. After a Marvin Williams tip-in, the Illini would get two shots off in a possession that lasted nearly a minute, but both Deron Williams and Head missed. And when Head came around the screen and up the lane, his pass to Williams was intercepted by Felton, who hit one free throw with 25.8 seconds left to give the Heels a 73-70 advantage.
Not to be deterred, Head gunned again from 3 with 12 seconds left but missed again. This time, after he was fouled, Felton hit the final two free throws.
Going into the game, the Illini knew they would have to control the Tar Heels’ transition game. But Rashad McCants, guarded primarily by Williams, scored both from the perimeter and on the break.
Brown was assigned the tough task of trying to contain Felton, who scored eight points and grabbed six rebounds.
There was a glimmer of hope for the Illini when Felton left the game shortly after committing his second foul at the 12:57 mark. But he would not commit another foul and played 15 minutes in the half.
There were times in the first half when despite their hustle, the Illini guards couldn’t catch a break. They worked the clock as the last seconds elapsed before halftime only to be hit with a shot-clock violation when Head was left with the ball well beyond the top of the key.
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Stars of the game
Sean May, North Carolina
May had his way in the paint, scoring 26 points on 10-of-11 shooting and grabbing a team-high 10 rebounds. His imposing presence in the middle may have swayed the Illini to take more outside shots.
Rashad McCants, North Carolina
He wasn’t quite as dominant as in past games, shooting just 6-for-15 from the field, but he still stung the Illini for 14 points–all of them in the first half. He had as many turnovers (2) as rebounds.
Raymond Felton, North Carolina
Felton helped the Tar Heels beat the Illini at their own game, hitting 4-of-5 3-pointers. He also made 5-of-6 free throws and dished out a team-high seven assists.
Deron Williams, Illinois
D-Will couldn’t find his usual long-range touch, clunking early and often before finishing 3-of-10 from behind the arc. He did bounce back with 17 points on 7-for-16 shooting. His seven assists tied Dee Brown for the team lead.
Roger Powell Jr., Illinois
Illinois would have been toast inside had it not been for Powell. He led all players with 14 rebounds, which was crucial, especially after James Augustine fouled out early. Powell scored nine points on 4-for-10 shooting.
Luther Head, Illinois
Head was the life of Illinois’ offense with 21 points, but his four turnovers were killers, especially the big one in the final minute. Head made just 8 of his 21 field-goal attempts and was 5-for-16 from behind the 3-point line.
