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North Carolina defeats Gonzaga for redemption in national championship

USA TODAY Sports

GLENDALE, Ariz. — Seldom in life do we get what we actually desperately want.

For a year now — almost exactly to the day — all these North Carolina players wanted was a chance to redeem themselves, an opportunity to erase the heartbreak from last April’s national championship game loss. They wanted this: A title of their own.

And, somehow, they got just that, beating Gonzaga, 71-65, in Monday night’s national championship game here at the University of Phoenix Stadium.

BOX SCORE : North Carolina 71, Gonzaga 65

THREE KEYS: Why North Carolina took home its sixth national title

The Tar Heels became just the fourth team to come back from losing the national championship the year before to go on and win it the following year.