There appeared to be three teams competing in the national championship game’s first half: The North Carolina Tar Heels, the Kansas Jayhawks in the opening minutes of the game, and the Kansas Jayhawks in the closing minutes of the half.
Kansas opened the game with a quick 3-pointer from guard Ochai Agbaji and a jumper from David McCormack on the next possession to take a 5-0 lead over the Tar Heels.
But something switched as the teams zipped back and forth, up and down the court. North Carolina matched the Jayhawks’ pace and intensity and all but took Agbaji out of the game.