Villanova Wins Title On Buzzer Beater
Villanova University canceled classes on Tuesday morning after showing its class on the basketball court on Monday night.
Villanova defeated North Carolina 77-74 on a buzzer-beating 3-point shot by Kris Jenkins to win its first NCAA Tournament title since 1985. Jenkins’ shot came 4.7 seconds after the Tar Heels’ Marcus Paige hit an off-balance 3-pointer to tie the game and cap UNC’s comeback from 10 points down. Villanova had rallied from a five-point halftime deficit.
People will say it this was the greatest NCAA title game ever, but they might be swayed mostly by the final 90 seconds and the two stunning shots. Why quibble? After a pair of blowouts in the semifinals, a taut and dramatic game was in order and delivered by the two teams.
That Jenkins took the game-winning shot was a surprise, as he was the player who inbounded the ball after Paige’s stunner and a Villanova timeout. Carolina’s defense got all over Ryan Arcidicano as he crossed the half court line and Jenkins began yelling, “Arch! Arch! Arch!” to let his teammate know he was open.
“I wanted to be aggressive. If I could get a shot, I was going to shoot it,” said Arcidiacono, named the tournament’s Most Outstanding Player. “But I heard someone screaming in the back of my head. It was Kris. I just gave it to him, and he let it go with confidence.”
Arch made the pass, Jenkins made the shot and confetti descended from the upper reaches of Houston’s NRG Stadium.
Arcidiacono grew up outside of Philadelphia as a fan of the Wildcats, the son of Villanova alumni. Imagine how he might have felt had he hit that shot to win the championship.
“For a senior to get the ball and make the right play and not try to shoot the ball in double coverage just shows a lot about him and what he’s about and how he’s just all about winning,” Jenkins said.
Congrats, Villanova. Now get back to class. But don’t stop smiling.
Post By: Larry Weisman, a longtime sportswriter for USA TODAY, blogs for Twistity.com. Follow him on Twitter @MrLarryWeisman
-
All-Rounder Stokes Aims for Recovery Ahead of Upcoming India Test Series England Test captain Ben Stokes has announced that...
-
NBA Star Penalized for Inappropriate Gesture During Victory Over Trail Blazers Philadelphia 76ers’ star center, Joel Embiid, has been...
-
Spanish Football Chief Faces Scrutiny Over World Cup Incident The Spanish government announced on Tuesday that it has submitted...
-
University of Houston Mourns the Loss of Former Basketball Star Reggie Chaney The University of Houston community is deeply...
-
Former President Donald Trump Leaves Republicans Speculating on His Debate Strategy Former President Donald Trump has definitively confirmed that...
-
As Neymar’s desire for a new chapter surfaces, the football world debates whether he will return to Barcelona’s embrace...
-
The football legend mesmerizes with a dazzling display and debuts a Wakanda Lionel Messi wowed fans once again with...
-
Andrew Wiggins Returns: Ready to Help Warriors Defend Championship Title! Golden State Warriors forward Andrew Wiggins has returned to...
-
Scotland’s rugby team has been dealt a significant blow. Scotland’s rugby team has been dealt a significant blow with...
-
Diaz injured his knee while the Puerto Rican team was celebrating its victory. During Wednesday night’s game in the...
-
Number 16 has joined the legendary likes of Numbers 8 and 24. Despite retiring from the NBA in 2021,...
-
Tatum was slapped with his first career ejection after two technical fouls. Monday night was a rough one for...