By Flint Wheeler
North Carolina rallied from a 10-point deficit against Villanova with 5 ½ minutes remaining on Monday night in the national championship game. The Tar Heels tied it at 74 with 4.7 seconds remaining on a 3-pointer from Marcus Paige, whose shot – an off-balance, double-clutching attempt – instantly qualified as one of the most dramatic moments in NCAA tournament history.
And then Villanova won the national championship amid a moment that was even more stunning, one that will be replayed over and over – and over – every year around this time of year. Kris Jenkins’ 3-pointer as time expired gave the Wildcats a 77-74 victory in what will be remembered as one of the great national championship games in history.
For UNC, it will be remembered for heartbreak. The Tar Heels lost in agonizing fashion, seconds after they’d tied the game on Paige’s 3-pointer from just right of the top of the key. Paige on that play found himself in possession of the ball, the seconds ticking away, needing to make a play.
From roughly 26 feet, Paige shot an off-balance double clutch that was pure. It fell through the rim and the UNC fans here celebrated wildly, throwing souvenir seat cushions in the air while Paige’s teammates embraced him near midcourt.
It looked then like the game might be destined for overtime. But there was still plenty of time left. Villanova inbounded the ball to Ryan Arcidiacono, the senior point guard. He crossed midcourt and then passed to Jenkins, the 6-foot-6 junior forward who is the adopted brother of Nate Britt, the Tar Heels’ junior guard.
Jenkins didn’t hesitate in the moment. He released a high-arcing shot from the right side that looked good from the release, and as the buzzer sounded and as the red light behind the basket went off – signifying the end of the game – Jenkins’ shot fell through. Villanova wins -Tarheels lose – Game Over.
And in Other News
This year’s ANA Inspirational (Formerly the Kraft Nabisco) is underwhelming.
New Zealand’s Lydia Ko became the youngest player to win two LPGA major championships when she birdied the par-five 18th to clinch the ANA Inspiration by one stroke on Sunday.
For the 18-year-old world No 1, who closed with a three-under 69 to finish at 12-under-par. The win marked her second successive major title after winning the Evian Championship last year.
The season’s first major looked headed for a play-off when Jutanugarn’s bogey at the par-three 17th, where she pulled her tee shot badly, set up a three-way tie for the lead.
But Ko, who was coming off a win at last week’s Kia Classic, would secure her 12th LPGA Tour victory by striking a precise wedge from 88 yards to set up a one-foot birdie putt.
Following her triumph, Ko took the traditional leap into Poppie’s Pond next to the 18th green along with her mother, sister, caddie and her caddie’s fiancee.
The South Korean-born Ko was bogey free for the final round and made several crucial putts to stay in the hunt, including a pair of long birdie putts on the front nine and a solid par-save on the 13th to stay two shots behind Jutanugarn.
Britain’s Charley Hull (69) and South Korea’s Chun In-gee (70) finished a stroke back. Thailand’s Ariya Jutanugarn (71) led late but bogeyed the final three holes to finish two strokes off the pace.
