Men's Basketball NCAA ACCtion: Sunday, March 29
North Carolina outlasts Oklahoma to earn its 18th trip to the Final Four.
North Carolina guard Ty Lawson (5) gets a shot away in front of Oklahoma forward Blake Griffin (23) in the first half of the men's NCAA tournament South Regional championship college basketball game in Memphis, Tenn. North Carolina won 72-60. (AP Photo/Jeff Roberson)

North Carolina guard Ty Lawson (5) gets a shot away in front of Oklahoma forward Blake Griffin (23) in the first half of the men's NCAA tournament South Regional championship college basketball game in Memphis, Tenn. North Carolina won 72-60. (AP Photo/Jeff Roberson)

March 29, 2009

UNC Outlasts Oklahoma, 72-60

MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) - Blake Griffin might be the nation's best player. North Carolina brushed him aside with a total team effort.

Ty Lawson scored 19 points and Danny Green added 18 to lead the top-seeded Tar Heels to a 72-60 win over Griffin and Oklahoma on Sunday in the South Regional final.

North Carolina (32-4) advanced to the Final Four for the second straight year and will play Villanova in the national semifinals.

Griffin scored 23 points with 16 rebounds for Oklahoma, but the Sooners (30-6) went 2-for-19 from 3-point range.

North Carolina advanced to a record 18th Final Four. UCLA has been to 18, but the Bruins' 1980 appearance was later vacated by the NCAA because of rules violations.

This will be the Tar Heels' ninth Final Four in 19 seasons - and it will be played at Detroit's Ford Field, where they routed Michigan State 98-63 in December. Earlier Sunday, the Spartans also reached the Final Four.

Tyler Hansbrough, North Carolina's big man, scored only eight points, but his team still won with ease.