KU’s season ends in NCAA semis

By Jim Baker     Mar 4, 1993

? Beating Dean Smith wasn’t easy two years ago in Indianapolis.

Losing to him in 1993 proved even more difficult for Kansas coach Roy Williams.

“There will be questions about ‘How do you feel losing to Dean Smith?’ All that junk. It still feels crappy,” Williams said after the Jayhawks’ 78-68 Final Four semifinal loss to North Carolina on Saturday at the Louisiana Superdome.

Just two seasons ago, Williams directed KU to a Final Four semifinal win over his former school and former boss.

On Saturday, the Tar Heels returned the favor as Smith came out a winner against his alma mater.

“There’s no way to describe the hurt,” Williams said. “Still, I’ll be pulling like the dickens for North Carolina on Monday night.”

In Monday’s championship, North Carolina will face Michigan, a 81-78 overtime winner over Kentucky in Saturday’s other semifinal.

KU’s season ended with a few tears Saturday but no regrets.

“I told the kids I love ’em,” Williams said.

He liked their perseverance in battling back time and again. But the Jayhawks, who led just once, 3-2, never could quite overcome a sizable 10-point first-half deficit — 30-20 at 5:47

“I felt we were chugging uphill the whole game,” Williams said. “Still, I was dumb enough to think we’d get over it, too. We got within three. Then Donald Williams made that three that got it to six. We turned it over twice, they made two free throws, then it was difficult.”

Despite losing the battle of the boards badly (Carolina finished with 32 rebounds to KU’s 22), KU trailed by just three, 68-65, following two Darrin Hancock free throws at 2:48.

However, UNC’s Williams, who scored 25 points on seven-of-11 shooting, knocked in one of his five three-pointers at 2:37, upping the lead to 71-65.

“It was a big shot,” said KU’s Adonis Jordan, who, like Rex Walters, had 19 points, keeping KU close with deadly three-point shooting.

Next, Williams stepped in front of Patrick Richey and swiped a Walters pass. KU turned it over again following an Eric Montross turnover.

Williams was fouled and hit two free throws at 1:23, giving Carolina a 73-65 advantage.

Walters, who hit five of nine threes to Jordan’s five of seven, missed a shot at 1:12. George Lynch grabbed one of his 10 rebounds and passed to Montross, who was fouled by Richard Scott.

Montross hit two free throws at :44, assuring the Tar Heels of a comfortable margin of victory.

Though KU didn’t convert late, Williams had no regrets.

“I don’t think it was like the K-State game where we lost our poise,” Williams said, referring to the Big Eight Tournament finals. “Rex slipped one time. Adonis had a shot blocked. North Carolina deserves a lot of credit.”

KU, which hit 25 of 57 shots for just 43.9 percent to Carolina’s 53.8 mark, did go cold during the late going.

Richey hit a layup at 4:49, cutting UNC’s lead to 67-63. The Jayhawks’ next hoop came at :20. In between, KU went 0-for-4 with three turnovers.

It’s possible the Jayhawks tired, but that hasn’t been the case in many games during the Williams era.

“We did have more guys give the tired signal than I can ever remember,” Williams said. “North Carolina is a big, strong, team. The intensity level today was so great on both sides.”

The game featured two different styles of play. Carolina went inside, converting its first seven hoops from inside the paint.

Montross finished with 23 points, while reserve center Kevin Salvadori contributed six. KU’s Scott had eight points, Eric Pauley five and Greg Ostertag two.

When KU scored Saturday, it usually was from the outside.

“We were 11-for-20 from the three-point line. When that happens, usually we feel good,” Williams said.

He felt good at halftime, ostensibly because KU looked sharp in cutting into a 10-point deficit.

Down 30-20, KU went on a 12-5 run and trailed 35-32 following a Greg Gurley three-pointer at 2:50.

At the break, the Jayhawks trailed 40-36. Walters had 13 at that point.

“The first 14 minutes, I didn’t think we had the intensity on defense,” Williams said. “We were on our heels a bit. They scored layups on their second and third plays. We yelled backdoor one time and still they got the layup. It was a grind-it out-game, but I felt good at halftime because we’ve been through those before.”

Montross scored UNC’s first six points of the second half and KU trailed 46-39 at 17:45.

But Scott scored four points and Jordan hit a three, countered only two Lynch free throws and the Jayhawks lagged by two, 48-46, at 16:02.

Montross, however, hit a hook shot and, following a turnover, hit an inside shot. Brian Reese then hit a stickback and Carolina suddenly led 54-46 at 14:00.

Montross and Donald Williams proved to be a deadly inside-outside combination.

“He’s so big and strong,” Roy Williams said of Montross. “To me the key was his getting it inside along with Williams making the outside shot. Inside and outside, they were very effective.”

Down by eight, Jordan hit another monumental three and foul-plagued Steve Woodberry and Scott hit buckets answered only by a Donald Williams hoop. KU trailed by three, 56-53, at 12:46.

A 7-2 run, fueled by five points by Williams and two from Montross, made it 63-55 at 9:36.

Jordan hit a pair of threes and KU trailed 65-61 at 6:31.

“We left it all out there,” said Walters. “We were aggressive taking the shot. We just got beat by a good basketball team.”

They were out of comebacks following Richey’s hoop at 4:49.

“They were deserving,” Williams said. “They were the actor we the reactor tonight.”

KU finished the season 29-7. NC will take a 33-4 record into the finals.

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