Kansas rallies, beats North Carolina 72-69 to win NCAA title

NEW ORLEANS (AP) — What looked like a lost cause turned into one of the sweetest wins ever for Kansas.

The Jayhawks brought their fourth NCAA title back to Allen Fieldhouse on Monday thanks to a second-half flurry that erased a 16-point deficit and eventually overcame North Carolina 72-69 in an epic battle of power programs.

It was the largest comeback in national championship history, surpassing the 1963 title game when Loyola overcame a 15-point deficit to beat Cincinnati at the buzzer, 60-58.

“Tonight we obviously labored in the first half,” said KU coach Bill Self, who won his second championship. “But the kids competed.”

David McCormack scored the go-ahead bucket from close range with 1:21 left, then another at the 22-second mark to put the Jayhawks ahead by three.

North Carolina missed its final four shots, including Caleb Love’s desperation 3 at the buzzer. His heave came up short after officials ruled that Kansas guard DaJuan Harris Jr., stepped out on an inbounds pass with 4.3 seconds left.

The Tar Heels went scoreless over the final 1:41. They couldn't find an answer for KU over the final 20 minutes.

“They were penetrating and doing whatever they wanted,” Love said.

After McCormick’s go-ahead bucket, Love drove to the basket but his shot got blocked. North Carolina got an offensive rebound and fed to Armando Bacot under the bucket. But the big man lost his footing and turned it over, then limped off the court, unable to return.

“I thought I really got the angle that I wanted and then I just rolled my ankle," Bacot said.

That put Brady Manek, not as good a defender, on McCormack, and the Kansas big man backed in Manek for the shot that put the Jayhawks ahead by three.

“When we had to have a basket, we went