Well-heeled: UNC holds off Illinois, gets Williams a title

ST. LOUIS — Of course, there was no way it was going to be easy. North Carolina did it, though, and now it's time to stop asking Roy Williams that doggone question.

Sean May had 26 points and the Tar Heels didn't allow a basket over the final, excruciating 2 1/2 minutes Monday night to defeat Illinois 75-70, a win that finally gave Williams the national championship that was missing from his otherwise stellar 17-year career.

"I'm just so happy for myself, my family," Williams said. "These seniors ... they took me for a heck of a ride."

Freshman Marvin Williams had a tip-in with 1:26 left, Raymond Felton made three free throws down the stretch and the Tar Heels (33-4) won their first title since 1993, back when Dean Smith was coaching and Williams was at Kansas, in the middle of his Final Four futility.

"He is the greatest coach," Felton said. "If he retired tomorrow, I would vote for him for the Hall of Fame. He told us he would bring us a championship and we did it as a team."

Led by May's 10-for-11 shooting, Carolina took a 65-55 lead with 8:51 left and it looked like Williams would win his 41st tournament game and first championship going away.

But Illinois (37-2) never quits. The Illini trailed by 15 early in the second half and 10 a bit later. They tied the game twice in the last 5 1/2 minutes, but when they had a chance to force overtime, Luther Head missed a 3-pointer with 17 seconds left, ending their chance to set the NCAA record for wins in a season.

"Not much you can say," Illinois coach Bruce Weber said. "We had a tremendous year. It was just a special journey."

When it was over — after Felton had made his last two free throws, after May had cradled his 10th and final rebound — Williams took off his glasses and started looking for people to hug.

A few moments later, he was crying, much like he has at the end of every season — though no ending has been as sweet as this one.

"I'm speechless," Williams said. "I usually talk my rear end off, but right now I'm speechless."

Head led Illinois with 21 points. He had a wide-open look at a 3-pointer that would have tied the game with 17 seconds left, but it bounded off and Weber's magical ride with the Illini wound up one win short of the real fairytale ending he hoped for.