North Carolina coach Roy Williams insists otherwise, but Ty Lawson’s jammed right big toe sure appears healed.
Lawson conducted an offensive clinic Friday night as the Tar Heels raced past Gonzaga 98-77 in the NCAA South regional semifinals. A junior point guard, Lawson scored 19 points on 7 of 9 shooting, passed for nine assists and grabbed five rebounds.
Ranked second nationally in scoring, North Carolina shot 52 percent and made 11 of 19 three-point attempts
The toe ailment sidelined Lawson for three games, two in the ACC tournament and one in the NCAA. He returned last Saturday with a 23-point, six-assist, no-turnover performance against LSU in the second round.
“They gave me open threes, so I just knocked them down and got everything rolling,” Lawson said. “I started pump-faking, getting to the basket, shooting, getting fouled. They just gave me opportunities to score, so I did.”
The top-seeded Tar Heels (31-4) are headed to a regional final for the fourth time in five years Sunday facing second-seeded Oklahoma.
Tyler Hansbrough was typically efficient Friday with game-highs of 24 points and 10 rebounds.
“It was good for [Lawson] to get that toe warm, to get his shot falling, get to the basket, get and-ones — do everything he’s done all year,” said former Brother Rice star Bobby Frasor.
Gonzaga (28-6) is 0-4 in NCAA games against top seeds. Guard Jeremy Pargo led four Gonzaga double-figure scorers with 16 points.
For the second time in three years, seven ACC teams received NCAA bids. For the second time in three seasons, UNC is the conference’s last hope. ACC teams are 6-6 in this tournament. Those from the Big East are 15-3.
Oklahoma 84, Syracuse 71: Blake Griffin bulled his way to 30 points and 14 rebounds, and Tony Crocker added a career-high 28 points as the Sooners reached their first regional final since 2003.
Oklahoma (30-5) began pulling away midway through the first half. Griffin mowed over Syracuse’s gutsy guard Jonny Flynn going to the basket and also banged his noggin against the bottom of the backboard while going for a rim-rocking dunk. Flynn led Syracuse (28-10) with 22 points despite playing the second half with a bruised back.
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