March Madness: The Championship Round

It’s official. North Carolina has won it all. Defeating Gonzaga, who held an overall record of 37-2, was not an easy one. The final score was 71-65. The Tar Heels (North Carolina), managed to blow past the bracket defeating each team. However, it was an all or nothing game during the Final Four against Kentucky. In the Final Four round, the Tar Heels managed to escape and get the win against Kentucky, therefore giving them a spot in the championship round. Gonzaga did have a close game against South Carolina in the Final Four, as well. Only winning by four points, Gonzaga managed to procure the victory and move on to the championship around, facing off against the mighty Tar Heels.

Despite losing the title to Villanova last year in 2016’s March Madness Championship round, North Carolina sought redemption and won their sixth national championship. However, this was certainly not their best game. Despite the 44 fouls and the 52 total free-throws, according to New Jersey Online, it was, without a doubt, a pretty ugly game.

Joel Berry II was named the tournament’s most outstanding player. Averaging 14.7 points per game, 3.1 rebounds per game, and 3.6 assists per game, Joel Berry II managed to make 22 points from shooting 7 of 19 on the court of field goals made (ESPN.com). Along with that, he contributed six assists for his team, helping them make their way to victory. After the game, Joel was interviewed by ESPN.com saying, “I threw the ball to Justin and almost immediately started crying.” This had occurred when Justin Jackson, from North Carolina, had a breakaway dunk to seal the victory. In addition to that, Berry concluded by saying, “It was just an unbelievable feeling. And this is what we worked for. And the ups and downs we’ve had? It’s all worth it. And I can’t even describe my feeling right now, but I am just glad that I was able to do something with this team.” With a very stunning victory for the Tar Heels, we only look to see what’s in store for next year.