Well, folks, we made it. Countless upsets and busted brackets later, the 2022 NCAA men's basketball tournament is over. It's officially "One Shining Moment" time for the Kansas Jayhawks who beat the North Carolina Tar Heels 72-69 in Monday's national championship game in New Orleans.
The Jayhawks scored the first seven points of the game before the Heels took off. In a six-minute stretch to end the first half, UNC rattled off 16 unanswered points. It was just the third time this season that Kansas has trailed by double figures. UNC's Armando Bacot, who entered the matchup with an injured ankle, refused to be deterred. He had 12 points and 10 rebounds in the first half.
The second half? That was an entirely different story as Kansas came back with a vengeance. The Jayhawks, who trailed by 15 at halftime, went on a 31-10 run in the first 10 minutes of the second half. David McCormack came up clutch for Kansas with 15 points and 10 rebounds.
UNC's Bacot finished the night with 15 points and 15 rebounds before re-injuring his ankle in the final minute while going for what would've been a potential game-winning layup attempt. He was unable to return to the game.
KU's comeback win puts them in rare (read: non-existent) company. Kansas is the first team in Final Four history to overcome a 15-point halftime deficit to win the title game. According to ESPN Stats & Information data, teams down 15+ points at halftime are now 9-452 (.980) in NCAA tournament history.
Here's how social media celebrated -- and lamented -- the outcome of the blue blood battle:
Your 2022 National Champions...🏆
— Kansas Men's Basketball (@KUHoops) April 5, 2022
HAS A NICE RING TO IT 😁 pic.twitter.com/GR27MoPIpi
Congrats!! 💪🏽💪🏽 @KUHoops
— Patrick Mahomes II (@PatrickMahomes) April 5, 2022
NATIONAL CHAMPS #RockChalk
— Joel "Troel" Embiid (@JoelEmbiid) April 5, 2022
Congrats to the champs!#RockChalk pic.twitter.com/GPXLob7tNJ
— Kansas City Royals (@Royals) April 5, 2022
Okay KU !!! Way to Rep the 12 🔥💯
— Trae Young (@TheTraeYoung) April 5, 2022
Let's not start that UNC gave the game away mess... Kansas went and got that game! They went got that one out the MUD. Carry the hell on...
— Kendrick Perkins (@KendrickPerkins) April 5, 2022
Left it all out there in both games.
— JJ Watt (@JJWatt) April 5, 2022
Much respect for Bacot.
Tar Heel fans watching their team lose its big lead like: pic.twitter.com/Jar7rfEiFk
— SportsNation (@SportsNation) April 5, 2022
Phog Allen Fieldhouse is LIT 🔥 pic.twitter.com/SmjUCXQc0j
— ESPN (@espn) April 5, 2022
The ULTIMATE celebration. And you guys have been doing a lot of celebrating 😂
— Kansas Men's Basketball (@KUHoops) April 5, 2022
THERE'S NO PLACE LIKE KANSAS. pic.twitter.com/5rbCYbmuUs
Love what this @UNC_Basketball team was able to accomplish this season 🙏🏾 y'all made the #CarolinaFamily proud!
— Harrison Barnes (@hbarnes) April 5, 2022
Forever happy to be a tarheel good fight fellas
— Cole Anthony (@The_ColeAnthony) April 5, 2022
Not the way we wanted to go out, but best believe we'll be back.
— Carolina Basketball (@UNC_Basketball) April 5, 2022
Proud of this team. Proud of this staff. Proud to be North Carolina. pic.twitter.com/KZ0bc1LzOW
