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Kris Jenkins hits buzzer-beating three-pointer to lift Villanova past North Carolina for NCAA title Kris Jenkins hits buzzer-beating three-pointer to lift Villanova past North Carolina for NCAA title
(about 1 hour later)
HOUSTON — As a roaring game in a roaring NRG Stadium on Monday night distilled to one final, soaring shot making its descent, 74,340 seemed almost to hush. That hush would not last. When Kris Jenkins’s cocksure three-pointer from the right of the top of the key swished down through the net and into deathless fame, all manner of noise broke out and threatened to stream through the years. HOUSTON — As a roaring basketball game in a roaring football stadium distilled to one final, soaring shot making its descent, 74,340 seemed almost to hush. The hush would not last. Kris Jenkins’s cocksure three-pointer from the right of the top of the key swished down through the net and into deathless fame, and all manner of noise broke out and threatened to stream through the years.
Villanova’s players surged into a pile. Villanova’s coaches hugged and hopped. The scoreboard read 77-74, and Villanova, a sturdy men’s basketball program with an eternal Monday night glittering from its distant past, had found another Monday night it will find impossible to forget, and claimed its second national championship 31 Aprils after its first. Villanova’s players surged into a pile. Villanova’s coaches hugged and hopped. Jaws dropped. Fans boomed. Streamers fell. North Carolina’s players walked off toward hard comprehension. The scoreboard suddenly read 77-74, and Villanova, a sturdy men’s basketball program with an eternal Monday night glittering from its distant past, had found another Monday night all witnesses will find impossible to forget.
On that other occasion in 1985 in Lexington, Ky., Villanova arrived with a No. 8 seeding and a place opposite towering Georgetown, then rode near-perfection to the kind of 66-64 upset that lives on in memory banks and highlight reels. On Monday night in a football stadium, the No. 2-seeded Wildcats reached a 35-5 peak in Coach Jay Wright’s 15th season and looked very much like they had become, by the end, the nation’s hardiest, most united and best team. It had claimed its second national championship 31 Aprils after its first. It had added another pinnacle to the storied occasion of 1985 in Lexington, Ky., when a No. 8-seeded Villanova faced a towering Georgetown and rode near-perfection to the kind of 66-64 upset that lives on in memory banks and highlight reels. On this freshest Monday night, a No. 2-seeded Villanova reached a 35-5 peak in Coach Jay Wright’s 15th season and looked very much like it had become, by the end — especially the very end — the nation’s hardiest, most united, most resourceful team.
Mostly, though, they were a team and a fan base that would speak forever about Jenkins-to-Arcidiacono-to-Jenkins, the final play of the 2016 national championship game. Beginning with 4.7 seconds left after an almost equally dramatic, hanging, three-point shot from North Carolina’s Marcus Paige had tied the game shockingly at 74-74, it had Jenkins throwing in the ball. [Marcus Paige had to tie the national title game before Jenkins could win it]
It had Ryan Arcidiacono, Villanova’s senior leader with the deft touch, hurrying up the ball. Mostly, though, it had become a team and a fan base that would gab forever about Jenkins-to-Arcidiacono-to-Jenkins, the final play of a 2016 national championship game set to line up among college basketball’s manic jewels. Beginning with 4.7 seconds left after an almost equally dramatic, hanging, three-point shot from North Carolina senior Marcus Paige had tied the game shockingly at 74-74, it had Jenkins throwing in the ball.
Then it had Arcidiacono kicking over to Jenkins. It had Ryan Arcidiacono, Villanova’s senior leader with the daunting touch, receiving that ball and hurrying forward.
Then it had Arcidiacono crossing midcourt, Jenkins sprinting into the play and screaming to Arcidiacono — “Arch! Arch! Arch!” — and Arcidiacono passing to Jenkins.
Then it had bedlam.Then it had bedlam.
“Kris Jenkins lives for that moment,” Wright said to the crowd afterward. “Kris Jenkins lives for that moment,” Wright said.
“I think every shot’s going in, so that one was no different,” said Jenkins, who attended Gonzaga College High in the District. “I think every shot’s going in, so that one was no different,” said Jenkins, who was an All-Met at Gonzaga College High.
All told, the Wildcats had played precisely as would a team that brought four players with 109 or more college games lining their long CVs. They cared not about a seven-point deficit early in the second half against a top-seeded power that had won five NCAA tournament games without too much stress. They made a 23-9 run to a 57-50 lead teemed with high-brow mastery. They made polished, difficult offensive plays. Their highly communicative defense flustered North Carolina through the second half, playing a leading role in the Tar Heels’ 12-for-35 shooting after halftime. “We work on it every single day in practice,” Arcidiacono said.
When North Carolina made one late, last push, from a 67-57 deficit with five minutes left to within 70-69 with one minute left, and then that tie with 4.7 seconds left, Villanova kept its stomach just enough to win out in a game full of winners. It had gotten a strong boost from a backup, Phil Booth, who scored 20 points. It had won out with its usual committee of contributors, from the poised work of Arcidiacono (16 points), Jenkins (14 points) and Josh Hart (12 points). “One, two, step, shoot ’em up,” Jenkins said.
It won even though North Carolina had sprung from that 10-point deficit with the uncommon poise of Paige (21 points) and the shooting of Joel Berry II (20 points). All told, the Wildcats had played precisely as would a team that brought four players with 109 or more college games lining their long CVs. They cared not about a seven-point deficit early in the second half against a top-seeded power that had won five NCAA tournament games with negligible stress. They made a 23-9 run to a 57-50 lead teemed with high-brow mastery. They made polished, difficult offensive plays. They shot 14 for 24 in the first half, 14 for 24 again in the second half. Their highly communicative defense flustered North Carolina through the second half, playing a leading role in the Tar Heels’ 12-for-35 shooting after halftime.
This rout-prone Final Four did evolve into a taut, contentious Monday night. After semifinals on Saturday with halftime margins of 14 points (Villanova over Oklahoma) and 11 points (North Carolina over Syracuse), the two dominant teams went at each other without a loser in sight. Each had the gift of cohesion. When North Carolina made one late, last push, from a 67-57 deficit with five minutes left to within 70-69 with one minute left, and then that jolting tie with 4.7 seconds left, Villanova kept its stomach just enough to win a game full of winners. It had gotten a strong boost from a backup, Phil Booth, who scored 20 points. It had won out with its usual committee of contributors, from the poised work of Arcidiacono (16 points), Jenkins (14 points) and Josh Hart (12 points). It won even though North Carolina had the indomitable poise of Paige (21 points) and a flurry from Joel Berry II (20 points).
Villanova, its starters averaging 107 games of college experience, guarded North Carolina’s size with impressive effect. North Carolina, its starters averaging 106.2 games of college experience, did something it hadn’t done usually: It swished three-pointers. [Kris Jenkins, Josh Hart, Nate Britt bring D.C. flavor to title game]
The Tar Heels had come in as the country’s 294th-ranked three-point shooting team (31.9 percent), and while that clearly did not hurt them on their path to five decisive NCAA tournament wins, they saved another dimension for the final. On the way to a halftime lead of 39-34, in a stadium supposedly unkind to shooters, they stood outside and made seven of nine three-point shots in the first half. Then it won even after a frightening jolt, when North Carolina started up the court after Hart’s free throws with 13 seconds left, down 74-71, and Jenkins lunged at Paige, and Jenkins flew away, and Paige launched his shot.
Berry, the Floridian sophomore who did make 37.6 percent of his three-point shots in the season, made all three before halftime. Justin Jackson, the Texan sophomore who made 28 percent in the season, made all three of his as well. Only via such rain did Villanova shoot 58 percent in the first half yet still trail at halftime. “The shot that Marcus made was just an unbelievable shot,” North Carolina Coach Roy Williams said amid his effusions of pride in his team.
Villanova called a timeout. A rout-prone Final Four had evolved into a stirring Monday night. After semifinals on Saturday with final margins of 44 points (Villanova over Oklahoma) and 17 points (North Carolina over Syracuse), the two dominant teams went at each other without a loser in sight.
Villanova, its starters averaging 107 games of college experience, guarded North Carolina’s size with impressive effect. North Carolina, its starters averaging 106.2 games of college experience, did something it hadn’t done usually: It swished three-pointers, 7 of 9 before halftime, before tapering off.
The Wildcats, however, stood well through all storms, even the last, which might have haunted many for good.
“I don’t think this has hit me yet,” Wright said one hour afterward. His team had grabbed its lead, lost its lead and then had run Jenkins-to-Arcidiacono-to-Jenkins, with Jenkins trailing, waiting, shouting and knowing, a basketball soon to go up, then descend.