MEMPHIS — Tar Heels survive on guts and coaching. Final Four, here they come.

Luke Maye will be remembered as making one of the biggest shots in Carolina history, but his dagger ended a game that UNC had seemingly lost, won, lost again, and won by avoiding overtime with three-tenths of a second remaining.

So many twists and turns, so many heroes – small and large – as the South Regional final lives up to its billing as Bluebloods battling for the fourth Final Four spot. Berry rolls his left ankle after playing with an already tender sprained right foot. Stilman comes off the bench to draw two fouls on Kentucky’s star guard and makes a nifty reverse layup. Meeks bags 17 rebounds. Jackson fights for 19 points.

With long shots not falling, Carolina goes nearly scoreless for six minutes at the end of the first half and beginning of the second. Kentucky makes its inevitable run, 13-4, and the Heels trail by five with five minutes left. It is looking bleaker than seven days ago.

Roy Williams, indeed, calls a time out, yells at his players that they did it last weekend and they can do it again. He calls for a zone defense, and Carolina climbs back into it with good bounce-baskets from Theo and JJ that triggers an amazing 12-0 run to put them up seven with less than a minute to play. Game over, right? Not exactly.

Berry drives and scores, but it is waved off by an offensive foul, and here comes Kentucky again. The Heels begin to unravel when Meeks can’t get the ball inbounds and the Wildcats drain two long threes to tie the game on a 9-2 run with 7 seconds left. Williams does NOT call a timeout as Pinson blows down the court and spots Maye backed up on the left wing.

The ball has perfect rotation as it floats toward the basket and swishes through the net. Moments later, Carolina is celebrating another regional championship with a last five minutes you will be telling your kids and grandkids about for years to come.

Cool Hand Luke won it, along with tournament MVP, but not without help of teammates who gutted out Berry’s injury and their long misfires. Somehow, some way, the Heels live to play again.