Tar Heels Play Cougars’ Game and Still Romp

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Washington State hoped for a slow, plodding, defensive game against North Carolina in its N.C.A.A. tournament East Region semifinal. The Cougars got what they wanted. Their plan was to limit Tar Heels power forward Tyler Hansbrough, a national player of the year candidate. Done.But for all their efforts, the Cougars were hammered anyway, 68-47, Thursday night at Charlotte Bobcats Arena.That is how daunting top-seeded North Carolina is right now. Hansbrough, held to 2 points in the first half, finished with a game-high 18 as the Tar Heels set a university record with their 35th victory of the season. Danny Green came off the bench to score 15, including 12 in the first half, which ended with North Carolina leading, 35-21. Aron Baynes and Derrick Low had 14 points to lead the fourth-seeded Cougars.“They played really good defense,” Green said. “They slowed the ball down. I think we started getting going a little bit, getting out and pressuring them defensively, got some stops running them. I think we started to get in a little rhythm and get some easy baskets for ourselves.” North Carolina (35-2), which has won 14 games in a row, will play Saturday against third-seeded Louisville. Saturday’s winner will advance to the Final Four next weekend in San Antonio. Still, this was not the game North Carolina wanted to play. After scoring more than 100 points in their first two tournament games, the Tar Heels faced a Washington State team that had allowed an average of 40.5 points in its two tournament victories. “Defensively, we played them really good, although we missed some shots as well,” North Carolina Coach Roy Williams said, adding, “We were struggling putting the ball in the basket, but I felt we were O.K.” But it was not easy for the Tar Heels. Washington State slowed their offense and Hansbrough in the first half. Yet North Carolina still took a 14-point lead at the intermission, relying on the rest of its potent lineup to carry the scoring load. SOURCE OF THIS STORY