“And there’s the shot…IT’S GOOD! IT’S GOOD! IT’S GOOD! Villanova is your 2016 national champions!”
Arguably the greatest ending in NCAA history was center stage Monday night. No. 2 Villanova took on No. 1 North Carolina in college basketball’s biggest game. North Carolina was seeking its sixth national championship in history, while Villanova was looking for its first since 1985.
Villanova entered the tournament as the two seed in the South region. They recently defeated the Oklahoma Sooners, 95-51 in the Final Four. Villanova shot an insane, 71% from the field and held Oklahoma to only, 31%. The Sooners also had almost as many turnovers as they did field goals made, 17 and 19. Part of the reason for such a blowout was that the Wildcats held one of the nation’s top players, Buddy Hield, to only nine points on 4-12 shooting. Hield came into the game averaging nearly 25 points per game.
North Carolina entered the tournament as the one seed in the East region. They defeated the 10 seeded Orangemen of Syracuse, 83-66 in the Final Four. Four Tar Heels finished in double figures, as North Carolina used a late run to pull away from Syracuse and advance to the National Championship in hopes to win the sixth title in school history. North Carolina scored 50 points in the paint to go along with 18 assists.
The game went back and forth for 40 minutes; the players giving their all, hoping to lead their team to national champions. For the most part, the game was neck and neck, the biggest lead by either team being only seven. That is, until Villanova used a 33-16 run to help boost them to a 10 point lead. With a 1:52 left, the Wildcats led by six. The Tar Heels chipped away and got the game all tied up thanks to Marcus Paige’s crazy three pointer. Tar Heel fans thought the game was headed to overtime, that is, until Kris Jenkins showed up. Ryan Arcidiacono ran up the court, throwing the ball behind to Jenkins. Just beyond the three point mark, Jenkins desperately shot the ball, scoring the winning point just as the time expired. The basket gave Villanova the 77-74 victory over North Carolina. It was the first buzzer beater to win a national title game since, Lorenzo Charles hit one for NC State in 1983.
Arcidiacono was named the game’s, Most Outstanding Player. He finished with 16 points and two rebounds. Jenkins finished with 14 points despite playing only 21 minutes due to foul trouble. North Carolina’s Marcus Paige finished with 21 points and Joel Berry II had a career high, 20 points.
In the post game interview, Villanova head coach, Jay Wright said,
“Kris told him he was going to be open, Arch made the perfect pass. Kris lives for that moment.”
When asked if he thought the shot was going in, Jenkins never had a doubt.
“I think every shot’s going in, and this one was no different.”
As I watched the game, I was impressed with the hustle and hear that each player showed. All of them were determined to do whatever it took to help their team to the top. I was disappointed with the referees in the game. They called too many touch fouls and failed to let the guys play. In the biggest game of the year, the players should have been able to play without fear of being called for a touch foul. Marcus Paige’s shot to tie the game also impressed me. Both his shot and Jenkins’ reminded me of Michael Jordan’s shot in the 1989 NBA playoffs.
The national championship was a great way to end yet another year of exciting basketball. This year was filled with upsets, tears and thrills. Teams will work hard in the off season to prepare for the chance to win the national championship next year.
For last weeks sports column, read: World of Sports: Why Syracuse will win the NCAA tournament.
This writer can be reached via Twitter: @nick_leblanc1 and via email: Nick LeBlanc.
