Orange, Tar Heels Meet in National Semifinals

Syracuse vs. North Carolina
Game Details	Saturday, April 2 \| Houston, Texas \| 8:47 p.m.
Game Coverage	TV: TBS \| Radio: TK99 (99.5 FM), Syracuse IMG Radio Network Video \| Interactive Bracket \| Live Stats Twitter: @Cuse \| @Cuse_MBB Instagram: @cusepics \| @cuse_mbb
Syracuse Links	Notes \| News \| Roster \| Schedule
North Carolina Links	News \| Roster \| Schedule

HOUSTON – A spot in the national championship game is on the line when Syracuse faces North Carolina in the NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament semifinals on Saturday, April 2 at 8:47 p.m. Eastern time. The Orange, which are the first No. 10 seed to make it to the Final Four, won the Midwest Regional, while the top-seeded Tar Heels were the victors in the East Regional.

The game will be televised on TBS. Fans can listen to the broadcast on the IMG Syracuse Radio Network and its flagship station, TK99 FM in Syracuse.

HOW THEY GOT HERE
Syracuse (23-13) overcame a 16-point second-half deficit to defeat No. 1 seed Virginia, 68-62, in the Midwest Regional final in Chicago. Freshman Malachi Richardson earned the regional MVP award after tying his season high with 23 points, including 14 during the decisive 25-4 scoring run that gave the Orange the lead for good.

North Carolina (32-6) defeated ACC foe Notre Dame, 88-74, in the East Regional final in Philadelphia to claim the final spot in the Final Four. Brice Johnson recorded a double-double with 25 points and 12 rebounds to lead the Tar Heels.

COONEY SET TO MAKE HISTORY
Graduate student Trevor Cooney will make history when he takes the court at NRG Stadium on Saturday night. He will become the first Syracuse player to play in two Final Fours. He scored three points in five minutes of action against Michigan in the 2013 national semifinals in Atlanta. Senior DaJuan Coleman and graduate student Michael Gbinije were also on the 2012-13 roster. Coleman did not play in the Final Four, and Gbinije was sitting out the season after transferring from Duke.

ORANGE VS. TAR HEELS – ROUND THREE
Syracuse and North Carolina will meet for the third time this season. The Tar Heels defeated the Orange, 84-73, in the Carrier Dome on January 9. Syracuse led by six, 56-50, with 8:28 to play, but North Carolina came back and hit 12 of its final 13 attempts from the field to record the victory. Trevor Cooney led the Orange with a season-high 27 points.

The squads met again in the final week of the regular season in Chapel Hill. North Carolina led by five, 73-68, heading into the final minute of play, but a dunk by freshman Malachi Richardson cut the deficit to three with 44 seconds remaining. A missed layup by the Orange gave the ball back to the Tar Heels with eight seconds left on the clock and a pair of free throws by Joel Berry II gave North Carolina the 75-70 victory. Michael Gbinije led the Orange with 17 points, while Tyler Roberson pulled down a game-high 11 rebounds.

SCOUTING THE TAR HEELS
North Carolina, the ACC regular-season and tournament champion, enters Saturday's game on a nine-game winning streak. Brice Johnson averages a double-double for the Tar Heels, recording 17.1 points and 10.5 rebounds per game. Joel Berry II (12.8 ppg.), Marcus Paige (12.3 ppg.) and Justin Jackson (12.2 ppg.) are also averaging double figures in scoring this season.

UP NEXT…
The winner of the Syracuse-North Carolina contest will take on the victor from Saturday's first semifinal between Oklahoma and Villanova on Monday, April 4 for the national championship.

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Players Mentioned

DaJuan Coleman

Trevor Cooney

Michael Gbinije

Malachi Richardson

Tyler Roberson

Syracuse University Athletics