Perhaps the physical pounding Rex Walters, a key figure in the last 2 minutes, hinted as such that huge North Carolina had put on Kansas for 35-27 minutes finally took its toll.

"We had more tired signals tonight than I can remember all season," Coach Roy Williams said.

Perhaps Walters, who had carried the Jayhawks' scoring load through the tournament tired a little too hard to keep this from being his last college game.

Or perhaps, North Carolina was just better.

"Give them some credit," Williams said. " We didn't hand it to 'em by any means. They made the play when they had to make them."

Because they did, North Carolina is playing Michigan tonight for the National Championship, and KU is hopping a plane home.

Saturdays's semifinal loss wasn't, Williams insists, a replay of the Jayhawks' late collapse that last time they had lost to Kansas State in the Big Eight Tournament semifinals.

"I don't think it was like K-State in the tournament," he said. "I don't think it was like that because I don't think we lost our poise tonight."

The entire game had been a struggle for the Jayhawks, whose only lead was 3-2 when Adonis Jordan hit the first of his five 3-point baskets.

KU trailed by as much as 10 points in both halves, but was able to stay in the game thanks to the 3-point shooting of Jordan and Walters.

And when Darrin Hancock hit both ends of a one-and-one with 2:48left, the Jayhawks were very much in the game, trailing only 68-65.

But the next four trips down the floor were a disaster -- a season-ending disaster for the Jayhawks.

Walters made back-to-back turnovers, then hurried a baseline jumper that missed, and Jordan had a shot blocked by North Carolina 7-footer Kevin Salvadori.

The Tar Heels hit 7 of 8 free throws in the final 1:23 to give them the 78-68 victory.

"We had plenty of chances to come back and just did not convert," Steve Woodberry said.

"We allowed them to convert opportunities and did not match them in the clutch."

KU's failure in the clutch was a stark contrast to its four games in the Midwest Regional when it broke open close games in the second halves of all four victories.

"They played great defense, and I made some questionable decisions," Walters said.

And North Carolina, striving to reach the championship game for the first time since Michael Jordan-led Tar Heels won the 1982 title in this same building made all the plays.

"We have a lot of players who will keep their composure and look for good shots, and I think we did that today," Carolina forward Brian Reese said.

"We had some early jitters and worked through them and played well down the stretch."

North Carolina's defense held KU to only one field goal Walters' meaningless 3-pointer with 20 seconds left in the last 41/3 minutes. The Jayhawks missed three shots and committed three turnovers during the span and were outscored 10-3 after Haycock's free throws had pulled them within three.

"I thought our youngsters played extremely well and played very hard," Williams said.

"We got it to three late and (North Carolina guard) Donald Williams made a big 3-point shot.

"We came down and had three straight possessions where we either turned it over or took a shot a little too quick.

"But that's the most criticism you'll get out of me. There were 298 teams that started on Nov. 1 with this (Final Four) in mind, and I thought it was a legitimate goal.

"These kids realized that goal."