Keeping It Heel
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UNC Basketball: 10 best moments in NCAA Tournament history

By Horran Cameron

Mar 17, 2016; St. Louis, MO, USA; A detailed shot of March Madness logos on chairs in the bench area before a practice day before the first round of the NCAA men's college basketball tournament at Scottrade Center. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Curry-USA TODAY Sports
Mar 17, 2016; St. Louis, MO, USA; A detailed shot of March Madness logos on chairs in the bench area before a practice day before the first round of the NCAA men's college basketball tournament at Scottrade Center. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Curry-USA TODAY Sports /
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Marcus Paige game-tying shot against Villanova in 2016 national championship

Last season, the North Carolina Tar Heels were one of the best teams in the nation. They were the ACC regular season champs and they won the 2016 ACC Tournament.

UNC had a good chance to win the national championship, also. T

The Tar Heels steamrolled through the Round of 64, Round of 32, Sweet 16 and Elite 8. Carolina managed to win each of those games by 14-plus points.

In the 2016 Final Four, North Carolina defeated Syracuse 83-66. Villanova blew out Oklahoma by the score 95-51.

Similar to the Tar Heels, the Villanova Wildcats steamrolled through all of their opponents the entire tournament until the title game. Villanova beat their opponents by an average of nearly 15 points.

In the 2016 NCAA national championship, North Carolina faced Villanova. It was clear they were the two best teams in the tournament. In the first half, the Tar Heels dominated the game. After halftime, the momentum swing occurred and Villanova had a double-figure lead.

Late in the game under five minutes left in regulation, the Tar Heels mounted one of their patented runs and comebacks. Senior guard Marcus Paige led the way with his defense, crisp passes and jump shots.

With 13.5 seconds left in the game, Joel Berry II brought the ball up the court and passed it to Paige.

What happened next won the hearts of so many people.

Paige went up for a three-point field goal. He avoided Villanova’s Ryan Arcidiacono by double-pumping in mid-air while shooting the basketball.

The jumper was good as UNC had managed to tie the game.

With 4.7 seconds left in the game, Villanova marched down the court and won the game on a buzzer-beater by Kris Jenkins.

Paige’s acrobatic shot became his trademark for the Tar Heels. His unbelievable shot acts as a lasting memory for his dedication and hard work over his four year career at North Carolina.

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