Detroit, MI (My Sportsbook) - North Carolina will play for its fifth national title, and this time the final hurdle will be a rematch against a team the Tar Heels throttled in December.
Ty Lawson scored 22 points, pulled down seven rebounds and dished out eight assists, as the Tar Heels bolted to a big first-half lead and disposed of Villanova, 83-69, in the Final Four at Ford Field.
Wayne Ellington added 20 points and nine boards for the Tar Heels (33-4), who will play Michigan State for the NCAA Tournament championship. The Spartans downed Connecticut, 82-73, in the first national semifinal.
Tyler Hansbrough tallied 18 points, 11 rebounds and four steals, while Danny Green notched 12 points for North Carolina.
Monday will mark the second meeting this season between the Tar Heels and Spartans, at the same venue. It was back on December 3 when top-ranked North Carolina blew out the then-No. 13 Spartans, 98-63, as part of the ACC/Big Ten Challenge. The Tar Heels limited the Spartans to 7-of-35 shooting in the second half in that game, as Hansbrough lead the way with a 25-point, 11- rebound effort.
In fact, UNC is 4-0 all-time against Michigan State in the NCAA Tournament, but there will be plenty of green in attendance at Ford Field for Monday night.
As for Saturday's game, the Tar Heels were in control most of the way. In the Final Four for the second year in a row and the third time in the last five years, the Tar Heels, seeded No. 1 from the South Region, didn't face much of a challenge down the stretch, as Villanova shot just 32.9 percent from the field.
Scottie Reynolds scored 17 for the Wildcats (30-8), who were on a magical run just like the 1985 team that upset Georgetown to win the national title. Villanova, which was seeded third in the East bracket this year, made it to the Final Four thanks to a win over top-seeded Pittsburgh, but the clock struck midnight on the Wildcats' run Saturday night due in part to a 5-of-27 effort from three-point range.
Rollie Massimino, coach of Villanova in the 1985 title run, sat stone-faced in the crowd at Ford Field, but the Wildcats were just overpowered by the Tar Heels, who have won each game in this tournament by at least 12 points.
