SHOWDOWN

Gonzaga, North Carolina Advance to NCAA Championship Game

Defeating South Carolina and Oregon, respectively, in the Final Four.

Gonzaga and North Carolina advanced to the NCAA championship game on Saturday, defeating their respective opponents in the Final Four. Gonzaga blew a 14-point lead in the second half, but hung on to defeat South Carolina 77-73. North Carolina missed four free throws in the last six seconds of the game, but went on to defeat Oregon 77-76. Gonzaga will be seeking its first national championship win, while North Carolina is looking for its fifth. “I’ve had some really, really tough teams. I’ve had some really close teams,” Gonzaga coach Mark Few said. “I’ve had some teams that have been crazy efficient on the offensive end and ones that have been pretty darned good on the defensive end that probably didn’t get credit for it. These guys are all of that. All of it.”