Spartans Fall Short In Rematch With Tar Heels, 89-82
Dec. 1, 2009 CHAPEL HILL, N.C. (AP) - Ed Davis scored a career-high 22 points Tuesday night to help No. 10 North Carolina beat No. 9 Michigan State 89-82 in a rematch of last season's national championship game won by the Tar Heels. Raymar Morgan scored 18 points to lead the Spartans, who shot 43 percent but were 2 of 20 from 3-point range. Kalin Lucas added 15 points and helped the Spartans get as close as six points late before the Tar Heels hit enough free throws to hold on. The teams met twice last season at Detroit's Ford Field, with North Carolina beating Michigan State by 35 points in the early season Challenge. Then came the 89-72 win in April for the program's fifth NCAA championship, a game in which North Carolina led by 24 points in the first half. It was a performance that put a damper on the Spartans' thrilling tournament run that had galvanized the economically battered state of Michigan. Coach Tom Izzo had said he didn't plan to use last season as motivation, though some of his players admitted they were eager for another shot at the Tar Heels. And as if the Spartans needed any reminders of what happened in April, the blue-clad students near the home bench greeted them for pregame warmups with chants of "Banner! Banner!" while pointing to the one hanging in the Smith Center rafters to commemorate last season's title. That forced the Spartans back into a familiar role: trying to claw back against the Tar Heels in a game that had gotten away from them. This time, at least, the Spartans made it interesting, inching back and getting as close as six points five times in the final 2 minutes.
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