Round 4: Pontiac Game Changing Performance nominee         

Competition announces top plays from Elite Eight

First-ever fan-voted scholarship in NCAA basketball history will award one school $100,000

[MARCH 29, 2005]  DETROIT -- Pontiac's Game Changing Performance competition rounded out its list of "game changing nominees" Monday, announcing the top plays from the 2005 NCAA Men's Basketball Championship Elite Eight round. The "game changing performance" nominations are:

• University of Louisville
  Louisville made its eighth Final Four despite playing the final minutes of regulation and overtime against West Virginia without arguably its best player. Both teams combined for an NCAA tournament-record 29 three-pointers.

• University of Illinois
  The top-seeded Illini battled back from a 14-point deficit with less than four minutes to play against Arizona before prevailing in overtime 90-89.

• University of North Carolina
  North Carolina nailed a clutch 3-pointer and provided solid defense to lead the top-seeded Tar Heels to a Final Four berth.

• University of Kentucky
  Kentucky theatrically tied the game at the end of regulation with a buzzer-beating 3-point shot, but Michigan State outscored the Wildcats in the second overtime period to advance to the Final Four for the fourth time in seven years.

After each round leading up to the Final Four, CBS will select up to four plays that had the greatest impact on the game and characterize the excitement and intensity of NCAA sports. Fan voting will determine the winning Pontiac Game Changing Performance from each round. Fans can vote for Elite Eight "game changing nominees" on NCAASports.com/Pontiac through midnight (March 29).

On Wednesday, CBS will announce the four Pontiac Game Changing Performance finalists. Finalists earn a $5,000 general scholarship contribution and the chance to be voted the Pontiac Game Changing Performance of the NCAA Tournament. The overall winning performance -- along with a $100,000 scholarship award from Pontiac -- will be announced during the CBS broadcast of the NCAA basketball championship game on April 4.

"The Pontiac Game Changing Performance scholarship award program focuses on recognizing the most dramatic and emotional moments in NCAA athletic competition," said Dino Bernacchi, Pontiac advertising manager. "NCAA basketball is certainly one of the most intense and exciting of all college sports. And, the connection to Pontiac as the performance division of GM is unmistakable."

The Pontiac Game Changing Performance competition is one of the components of the partnership between Pontiac, the National Collegiate Athletic Association, CBS and ESPN, and follows a similar, very successful effort earlier this year centering on NCAA football.

By the end of this year's tournament, Pontiac, a leading sponsor of NCAA sporting events and collegiate athletics, will have contributed nearly $305,000 to NCAA institutions over the past year.

Full program details can be reviewed by visiting NCAASports.com/Pontiac.

Pontiac is a division of General Motors Corporation (NYSE: GM) and markets the G6, GTO, Grand Prix, Vibe and Montana SV6. Pontiac sold more than 474,000 vehicles in 2004, ranking third among GM divisions in total sales. The V8-powered Grand Prix GXP and the Solstice roadster will be available this year, along with the G6 coupe GT and G6 GTP. More information on Pontiac and its products can be found at www.pontiac.com and in Spanish at www.pontiac.com/espanol.

[Pontiac news release]

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