You knew all along the Griffin-Hansbrough matchup wasn't the story, right?
Well, it wasn't. Hansbrough spent most of the first half on the bench, and much of his playing time kicking the ball out to the perimeter on offense and being merely half of a double-team on Griffin the rest of the time, but the end result got UNC to the Final Four and Oklahoma a quick trip home.
It was a strange game for both teams, each of whom was used to getting rebounds at will. Offensive rebounds were almost impossible to come by, and offensive sets were easily disrupted. UNC clogged the Sooner passing lanes, netting nine steals, and tied up Griffin on offense enough to force the rest of the Oklahoma team to perform. And with a Final Four on the line, the failed spectacularly, missing their first fifteen three-pointers. The Sooner defense could slow but not stop the Tar Heels, as Danny Green slipped through for 18 points while Lawson sliced and diced his way to 19. Carolina took an early lead, and just like the two Duke games this season, maintained it in a slow, deliberate way. It wasn't particularly gripping to watch, and it won't go down in history, but it got the job done, got the opponent of their game, and got the Heels to Detroit. You can't ask for much more than that.