Final Four scores: North Carolina survives Oregon comeback, will face Gonzaga in championship

Colleen Thomas

•
Final Four scores: North Carolina survives Oregon comeback, will face Gonzaga in championship image

It'll be a duel of No. 1 seeds in Phoenix for the national championship.

North Carolina held off Oregon in the National Semifinal on Saturday evening, defeating the Ducks to advance to its second consecutive national championship game.

Kennedy Meeks led all scorers with 25, while also chipping in with 14 rebounds, including an offensive rebound on a missed Joel Berry free throw that sealed the victory.

North Carolina vs. Oregon score, updates

9:05:  We're off. This is Roy Williams' 99th career tournament game. That would make a trip to the national championship... well, I'm sure you can count.

9:09:  First five points of the game for Oregon belong to freshman point guard Payton Pritchard. That's a bit unexpected.

9:12:  Jordan Bell is doing that thing again where he swallows up any shot in his vicinity. 

9:15:  Luke Maye just airballed a jumper. Life comes at you fast.

9:28:  Dillon Brooks has zero points, but Oregon is winning. That's a positive for Oregon, I think.

9:40:  This is concerning for Oregon. Jordan Bell has come up limping. It looks like he turned his ankle.

9:51:  Oregon's lead grew to eight, but a North Carolina run has the Tar Heels up one.

9:57:  The Tar Heels utilized a 17-6 run to head into halftime up 39-36.

10:21:  Kennedy Meeks already has two scores off offensive boards less than three minutes into the second half. He's putting the Tar Heels on his back.

10:37: Now Justin Jackson is taking over. He has 11 in the half and UNC is up nine.

10:59: Dillon Brooks just picked up his fourth foul, but with the way he's playing, it might benefit Oregon for him to get off the court.

11:13: Brooks fouls out on a questionable foul call, going just 2-11 from the field for 10 points, and had five turnovers.

11:26: North Carolina wins in an utterly bizarre fashion. The Tar Heels miss four straight free throws, but secure two offensive rebounds to run out the clock.

Colleen Thomas

Colleen Thomas Photo

Colleen Thomas is an Associate Editor at Sporting News. She joined Sporting News in 2014.