Page 19 - ATODAY
P. 19
SPORTS A19
Wednesday 6 April 2016
Villanova tops Carolina 77-74
on Jenkins’ buzzer-beater
BY EDDIE PELLS sleep in the streets.” win the overtime. Villanova players celebrates after Kris Jenkins, center, scores
AP NATIONAL WRITER The Wildcats (35-5) took Never happened. a game winning three point basket in the closing seconds of
HOUSTON (AP) -- Some the title for the first time “It was helpless,” Williams NCAA Final Four tournament college basketball championship
plays you can’t draw up. since 1985, when Rollie said. “It was not a good game Monday, April 4, 2016, in Houston.
Other plays you can. Massimino coached the feeling.”
The double-clutch program to a title-game The tears flowed out of the Associated Press
3-pointer North Carolina’s victory over Georgetown. 65-year-old coach, who
Marcus Paige made came Villanova shot 78 percent fell to 2-3 in title games. “The last play, we were said. “We knew what we
right off a playground. that night. In this game, the It’s never fun being on the
It might go down as Cats shot 58.3 percent in wrong side of hoops history. just calm in the huddle, were going to do and we
college basketball’s most the first half, 58.3 percent Back in 1983, Lorenzo
spectacular footnote ever. in the second half and Charles dunked after an honestly,” Arcidiacono just executed.”q
The buzzer-beating 3 that 100 percent with the final air ball to lift North Carolina
Villanova’s Kris Jenkins buzzer sounding. State to its improbable title.
poured in on top of that Wright said every coach In 1987, Keith Smart made
was the result of months, designs plays for game- one from the side late to lift
even years, of practice ending situations with less Indiana to a championship.
making perfect. It might go than four seconds, four to In 1992, Christian Laettner
down as the sport’s most seven seconds, seven to 12 took Grant Hill’s pass and
memorable game-winner. seconds. hit a turnaround jumper to
Two huge buckets in They practice it. A lot. help Duke beat Kentucky
the span of 4.7 seconds When showtime comes, the and make the Final Four.
Monday night turned a coach puts the ball in his Now, this.
back-and-forth, edge- players’ hands and hopes
of-your-seat national title they can execute. He
game into something even knows that with the senior,
better. Arcidiacono, running the
Jenkins walked away the play, odds are the Wildcats
winner. His 3 at the buzzer, will get a good look.
two steps behind the “Every kid dreams about
arc and with a 6-foot-9 thatshot,”saidArcidiacono,
defender flying in his face, who finished with 16 points
gave Villanova a 77-74 and two assists, one more
victory and the second memorable than the other.
national title in program “I wanted that shot, but I
history. just had confidence in my
“I think every shot’s going teammates, and Kris was
in,” Jenkins said, “and this able to knock down that
one was no different.” shot.”
‘Nova coach Jay Wright Not too much earlier,
barely flinched when trailing 74-71, Paige
Jenkins’ shot fell with the knocked down his.
buzzer blaring. “Bang,” No coach could draw up
he said, calmly, before that sort of thing.
walking to midcourt to The senior guard took a
shake Carolina coach Roy skip pass from Joel Berry
Williams’ hand. II, almost lost the handle,
Wright has been coaching dribbled twice, and with
that play for months, even Arcidiacono running at
years. him, hit a double-clutch 3
With the game tied and from two steps behind the
4.7 seconds left, Jenkins arc.
inbounded under the “He’s been doing that his
Villanova basket to point whole career here,” Berry
guard Ryan Arcidiacono. said. “He just that tough a
Forward Daniel Ochefu set guy.”
a pick at midcourt to free The Tar Heels (33-7), the
things up, then it was up only No. 1 seed in the Final
to Arcidiacono to create. Four, trailed by 10 with 5:30
He underhand flipped a left. At that point, Williams
pass to Jenkins, who was said he promised his team
open. The junior spotted that if he did what they
himself up, and with North said, they would have a
Carolina’s Isaiah Hicks chance to win.
running at him, launched Then, after Paige hit his
the shot. shot, the senior told his
Swish. Confetti. Party time. teammates they just
Or, as Jenkins put it, “One, needed to play 4.7 seconds
two step, shoot ‘em up, of defense, and they would
