April 5, 2005

By JIM O'CONNELL
AP Basketball Writer

ST. LOUIS (AP) - North Carolina got its big lead with a zone defense that caused Illinois fits.

The Tar Heels stayed in front for most of the second half because of Sean May inside.

But they won the national championship because Raymond Felton showed why he is one of the best point guards of his generation. The junior made the biggest plays in the final 5 minutes of North Carolina's 75-70 victory Monday night.

Felton's forte usually is his passing, making him among the career assist leaders at North Carolina. This time, like a true champion, he found other ways to lead the Tar Heels.

He did it with his shooting, making a huge 3-pointer after Illinois had erased all of a 15-point deficit in the second half to tie the game.

He did it with his defense, stealing the ball while the Illini tried to work for a shot trailing by two points with 30 seconds left.

He did it off the boards, grabbing the rebound of a missed 3-point attempt with 11 seconds left that could have tied the game.

Each time the ball wound up in Felton's hands, the only place North Carolina would have wanted it. He finished with 17 points, seven assists and two steals in 35 minutes.

And the play that changed the game in the first half? It involved Felton, too.

When Felton was charged with his second foul with 12:57 left in the opening half, Tar Heels coach Roy Williams had to make sure his point guard was on the court, not on the bench with him.

So North Carolina went to a 2-3 matchup zone and Illinois started taking and missing 3-pointers. The Illini were 5-for-19 from beyond the arc in the first half and were just 10-for-37 overall (27 percent).

The Tar Heels were able to go on a 24-10 run over the final 11 minutes of the half for a 40-27 lead.

May became the Tar Heels' main weapon, scoring inside almost at will as the lead went back to double figures, 65-55 with 8:51 to go.

But Illinois was able to keep the ball out of May's hands and the Illini tied the game at 65 with 5:34 to play.

Felton stuck his fourth 3 of the game 25 seconds later to restore the lead. Illinois tied it one more time, at 70 with 2:38 left.

Freshman Marvin Williams' tip-in with 1:29 left gave the Tar Heels the lead for good, then Felton took over.

He came up with the steal that led to him making one free throw and the rebound that gave him two more from the line with 9.9 seconds to go and a 75-70 lead.

It also meant North Carolina had its fourth national championship, the latest courtesy of the latest of its great point guards.