National Basketball Association
BOXSCORE | RECAP
Kansas 70, North Carolina 58
When: 5:15 PM ET, Sunday, March 24, 2013
Where: Sprint Center, Kansas City, Missouri
Officials: # Patrick Adams, # Mike Greenstein, # Michael Kitts
Attendance: N/A

Kansas 70, North Carolina 58: Travis Releford scored 22 points and a withering 29-8 second-half run propelled the top-seeded Jayhawks past the Tar Heels in the NCAA Tournament third-round game in Kansas City.

Kansas (31-5) ended the season of former head coach Roy Williams for the second consecutive year, moving into the Sweet 16 against Michigan on Friday in Arlington, Texas. The Jayhawks did it with a dominant second half, rebounding from a 30-21 halftime deficit to build a 50-38 advantage en route to head coach Bill Self's 300th career victory at Kansas.

P.J. Hairston scored 15 points to lead eighth-seeded North Carolina (25-11), which lost to Kansas in the Midwest Regional final last season. The Tar Heels shot 30.1 percent against a Kansas defense that leads the nation in opponent field-goal percentage.

Releford scored with seven seconds left in the first half, then spearheaded the Jayhawks’ charge after intermission. The senior guard scored 10 points during the decisive surge, his tip-in with 14:43 remaining pushing Kansas in front to stay, 37-35.

Jeff Whitey scored 16 points with 16 rebounds and five blocked shots, and Naadir Tharpe hit three 3-pointers off the bench for the Jayhawks.

GAME NOTEBOOK: The Tar Heels scored 12 of the game’s first 14 points and pushed their lead to 11 in the final minute of the first half. … Kansas has won 12 of its past 13 games and are in the Sweet 16 for the 30th time in program history. ... Releford finished 9-for-13 shooting and pulled down eight rebounds.
Top Game Performances
 
North Carolina   Kansas
P.J. Hairston 15 Scoring Travis Releford 22
Dexter Strickland 4 Assists Elijah Johnson 4
P.J. Hairston 9 Rebounds Jeff Withey 16
Dexter Strickland 3 Free Throws Made Jeff Withey 4
Marcus Paige 5 Steals Travis Releford 3
James Michael McAdoo 1 Blocks Jeff Withey 5
Team Stats Summary
 
Team Points FG% 3PM-3PA FTM-FTA Assists Rebounds Blocks Steals Turnovers
North Carolina 58 30.1 6-21 8-10 10 30 1 15 11
Kansas 70 43.6 5-14 17-21 11 47 5 7 22