Despite their surprising and stellar flight through the 2016 NCAA championship and into the Final Four, the Orange’s run came to an end in their bold face off against the Tar Heels. In an 83-66 win, the number one seeded UNC dominated the number 10 seeded Syracuse.

Early in the first half, neither team gained a significant advantage over the other. 0 for 10 in their first half three-pointers, the Tar Heels, favorites of the match, seemed to be initially rattled by Syracuse. Nonetheless, after a menacing tip-in dunk by UNC forward Brice Johnson, the Tar Heels were riled up and determined to focus on breaking Syracuse’s defense. Syracuse shot only 35.5 percent in the first half in comparison to UNC’s 48.6 percent from the field. Later, in the first half, UNC was able to bring the lead to the double digits. With the leadership of Brice Johnson and Kennedy Meeks who scored eight and nine points respectively, UNC approached a smooth and solid finish to the first half.

Throughout the tournament, Syracuse has been known for its rigorous comebacks to bring about the win through a full court press. Yet, UNC ensured that this would not occur by forcing Syracuse into 10 turnovers with only 5 assists and bringing out even more fast breaks in the second half. They outscored the Orange 50-32 in the paint and with a strong defense, brought Syracuse’s offense down with a 16 point lead at one point late in the second half. With less than three minutes left in the game, Marcus Paige sunk a three, solidifying the game for UNC as Syracuse was unable to return and steal the game. Cooney, Johnson and Meeks with 22, 16 and 15 points respectively led UNC to its Final Four victory.

The UNC Tar Heels will take on the Villanova Wildcats, in their first NCAA Men’s Championship since 2009. Will the Tar Heels ram their way to victory? Or will Villanova, in a wild turn of events, conquer the national title? Tune in Monday night to find out.