Originally published by the Voice of America (www.voanews.com). Voice of America is funded by the US Federal Government and content it exclusively produces is in the public domain. US College Basketball Championship Teams Set -------------------------------------------- http://enews.voanews.com/t?ctl=CA093D:2AB91D3 Illinois will face North Carolina for title Monday The dream of winning college basketball's national championship has ended for two of the teams at the Final Four in Saint Louis. Illinois will face North Carolina for the title Monday. The Fighting Illini eliminated Louisville 72-57 in the first semifinal, while the Tar Heels knocked out Michigan State 87-71 in the second match-up. After a surprisingly low-scoring first half that ended with Illinois ahead 31-28, the Fighting Illini exploded in the second half. Roger Powell Jr. and Luther Head scored 20 points each, including 18 and 14 respectively in the second half. The 37-1 Illini were the best team in the country all season, and they proved it against a tough Louisville squad, which had been averaging 89 points a game. After shooting just 37 percent from the field in the first half, the Illini improved to 63 percent in the final 20 minutes. Louisville, which had battled back from a 20 point deficit against West Virginia just to make into the Final Four, ran out of miracle comebacks, as Illinois cruised to the easy 72-57 victory. Louisville coach Rick Pitino, who made history by taking his third different school to the Final Four, said Illinois was too good. "Well, we lost to a better team tonight," he said. "Illinois was a better basketball team than us. We fought as hard as we could fight. They made some big plays down the stretch. They are a great team. They do not necessarily have the greatest talent I have seen from a Final Four (team) but the best team I have seen in some time. So, I am real proud of our guys and Illinois did a fabulous job tonight." Illinois coach Bruce Weber talked about the keys to winning. "First key was the defense," he said. "Our guys did a great job. We talked about our big men being major factors, we talked about taking care of the basketball and then we talked our bench being a major factor. All those thing, along with boards, rebounding, I think all those things became the X-factors in the game." Illinois will be trying for its first NCAA basketball championship in its more than 100-year history, while North Carolina coach Roy Williams goes after his first championship in five appearances at the Final Four. The Tar Heels earned their shot at the title by coming back from a five-point halftime deficit to blow out Michigan State for an 87-71 win. Williams says he knew his team could come back. "I challenged them at halftime and five was nothing if we went out and played," he said. "You just have to look at these youngsters up here to realize how hard they competed in the second half against a big-time Michigan State team. We are just elated." Sean May reacted to Williams' challenge by scoring 22 points - all but four after halftime. Jawad Williams tallied 20 more for North Carolina. Michigan State coach Tom Izzo says the Spartans fell apart in the second half. "We just did not have enough weapons," he said. "They played awfully well - they deserved to win. And it is going to be, I think, a great championship game with two number-one seeds. It is probably the way it is supposed to be." .