No. 1 UNC runs away from No. 5 Indiana to earn Elite Eight bid
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What happened
North Carolina took control of its Sweet 16 matchup with Indiana right from the start and never looked back, riding five different double-digit scorers to a 101–86 win to advance to the Elite Eight.
Why it matters
The Tar Heels put together one of the best offensive performances of the entire season, scoring 52 points in the first half en route to a comfortable victory over a strong Indiana team. Brice Johnson, Kennedy Meeks and Justin Jackson were always going to guarantee the Tar Heels’ interior strength, but they finally made some noise from behind the arc, connecting on 11 of their 20 attempts.
Marcus Paige, in particular, found his stroke, going 6 for 9 from distance. When the Tar Heels play to their full potential, no one in the country can stick with them. As good as Kansas, Virginia, Oklahoma and Oregon are, none of them can match UNC’s overall talent and ruthless efficiency on offense. If the Tar Heels continue to play like they did on Friday, they’ll be cutting down the nets in Houston.
• KEITH: Virginia downs Iowa State to earn first Elite Eight berth since 1995
What’s next
North Carolina will take on Notre Dame, which defeated Wisconsin on Friday, in the Elite Eight. The two teams split their regular-season meetings, with each team winning at home. Whoever takes the rubber match will reach college basketball’s promised land.
