May inspires North Carolina to NCAA title
(Agencies)
Updated: 2005-04-05 15:44

Sean May scored 26 points to lead the North Carolina Tar Heels to the NCAA men's basketball championship with a thrilling 75-70 win over the Illinois Illini Monday.

North Carolina center Sean May celebrates after his team won the NCAA men's Final Four National Championship game against Illinois April 4, 2005. UNC won 75-70. [Reuters]

Raymond Felton added 17 points, including three free throws in the final minute, and Rashad McCants had 14 points for the Tar Heels, who gave Roy Williams his first national title in his 17th season as a college coach, his second with his alma mater.

Illinois (37-2) was denied its record-setting 38th win of the season and its first NCAA title in its 100-year history while the Tar Heels won their fourth national championship and first since 1993.

Marvin Williams' tip-in with 1:27 left broke a 70-70 tie and gave the Tar Heels (33-4) the win in the thrilling game, which was tied twice in the final five minutes.

The much anticipated showdown between the two top ranked teams in the nation -- the first time the top two teams have met in the NCAA championship game in 30 years -- lived up to expectations in the early going, with the teams exchanging leads four times in the first nine minutes.

However, the Tar Heels took over later in the first half, finishing on a 13-2 run to lead 40-27 at the intermission.

Illinois shot just 27 percent in the first half, while North Carolina was 55 percent from the field, with McCants scoring 14 first half points on 6-for-12 shooting.

The Illini fell behind by as many as 15 points early in the second half, but Illinois found its shooting groove and closed to within 52-50 after a 23-10 run to open the second half.

Illinois tied the game on a pair of free throws by Dee Brown with 5:34 left, but Raymond Felton's three-pointer moments later restored North Carolina's lead.

The teams were again tied 70-70 with 2:36 left on a three-pointer from Luther Head.

Head led Illinois with 21 points, while Deron Williams added 17.

The final seemed like a home game for the Illini, as it has been for the entire post-season. The school is located in Champagne, Illinois, a three hour drive from St. Louis.

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