With a game-changing play, Paxon Wojcik propels the Tar Heels to the Sweet 16

Charlotte, North Carolina –– The detractors of the top-seeded Tar Heels had been claiming all week that they weren’t good enough, couldn’t go far, and wouldn’t hold up against Tom Izzo and company.

Despite being written off, North Carolina didn’t write themselves off, defeating Michigan State 85-69 on Saturday night at the Spectrum Center to secure a spot in the Sweet Sixteen. In the NCAA Tournament, they defeated the Spartans 6-0. Now, they’re going to Los Angeles to shut down the haters and put an end to their doubts.

Even though he didn’t end up with any points, Paxson Wojcik changed the course of tonight’s victory. Wojcik made a selfless effort with a steal off a fastbreak with 3:19 remaining in the game, charging his way down the court and

into the paint. However, he chose to pass the ball to his teammate RJ Davis, who was waiting in the right corner of the perimeter, rather than going for the simple layup. With his feet firmly planted, Davis made his first three-pointer of the game with a swish.

According to Davis, “He changed the whole thing.” “To witness the excitement of the audience and be a part of that moment speaks volumes about the kind of team basketball we play. We have players that can enter the game prepared to play and have an impact.

But before he could even attempt the shot, Wojcik was sprinting to the other end of the floor while clutching a three-pointer in his left hand, sure that Davis would miss would successfully make the shot.

Wojcik compared it to feeding Steph Curry outside, saying, “You just know he’s going to make that shot.”

The fact that Paxson defeated his father, MSU assistant coach Doug, made this game more significant. Although Pax said it “felt great” to defeat his dad’s team in the tournament, what matters most is that he will be able to bring his whole family with him when they play in the next round.

It feels great to be in this situation because I’ve never experienced anything like this before, he remarked.

I questioned him about his perception of his and the team’s position to get more information.

“A chance to win it all,” he smiled in return.

Davis scored 20 points to lead the club; Armando Bacot and Harrison Ingram added 18 and 17 points, respectively, to round out the scoring.

Out of all the Tar Heels on the court, Ingram played the most efficient game. At one point, he made his first four 3-point tries and finished 5-of-7 from outside the arc.

Being able to defeat Izzo in the tournament is an amazing experience for me as a big fan of his from back in the day, Ingram remarked.

He also expressed delight over the emotion by yelling, “They were doing all that talkin’—now they going home,” in the halls as well as on the court.

The winner of tonight’s 7:10 p.m. match between Grand Canyon, the No. 12 seed, and Alabama, the No. 4 seed, will play North Carolina.