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 Playing at the Barclays Center, just 15 minutes from Bishop
Loughlin High School where he was named New York's Mr. Basketball as
a senior, Pinkston played a pivotal role in Villanova's 60-55 win
over Michigan in the finals of the Progressive Legends Classic on
Tuesday.
The senior forward had the go-ahead basket and game-saving block in
the final minute to provide No. 12 Villanova (5-0) with the win in a
wild, back-and-forth game that had the atmosphere of an NCAA
Tournament game.
Pinkston put the Wildcats ahead 56-55 with a spin move and a
one-handed bucket with 13.4 seconds left. The 6-foot-7 Pinkston then
blocked Michigan forward Zak Irvin's dunk attempt off an inbounds
pass with five seconds left.
The tournament was the first time he played at Barclays since high
school. Pinkston finished with eight points and nine rebounds. He
scored 15 points in the tournament semifinal against VCU on Monday.
 Villanova guard Ryan Arcidiacono sank four free throws for the final
verdict.
Dylan Ennis, a junior guard and the tournament MVP, led the Wildcats
with 15 points.
Junior guard Caris LeVert topped No. 19 Michigan (4-1) with 16
points.
"It was a fun experience to win the tournament in front of my family
and friends," said Pinkston. "Coach (Jay Wright) always tells me to
focus on my defense and the scoring will come."
Against Michigan, it was the opposite, even though Pinkston admitted
he "screwed up on the block."
"I kind of messed up on the play," he said. "I saw someone fall down
and I blocked the shot."
Wright went into greater detail.
"His (Pinkston's) job on that play is to not let anybody get the
ball," Wright explained. "He got a little over-excited and jumped
out. To get from where he was to block that ball was incredible.
Ennis' 3-pointer from the right baseline tied the game at 51-51 with
2:44 to play, and sophomore guard Josh Hart's free throw put the
Wildcats ahead 52-51. The two teams traded baskets before LaVert's
jumper put the Wolverines ahead 55-54 with 58 seconds to go.
Pinkston then hit the pivotal shot.
Villanova seemed secure with a 33-22 lead early in the second half,
but Irvin ignited a 25-8 run by the Wolverines with a jumper. He
scored eight in the run as the Wolverines went ahead 47-41 with just
under eight minutes left in the game.
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"I told the kids in the locker room how proud we were of them," said
Michigan coach John Beilein. "I know that's coach speak, but it was
33-20 at the end of the first half. I sensed at that time that we
had doubts if we would win the game.
"I'm really proud of how their spirit changed. We became a different
team."
The Wolverines' scoring drought that ended the first half continued
into the second. At one point, they burned two quick timeouts
because they couldn't get the ball inbounds due to a stifling
Wildcats defense.
In the first half, LeVert scored eight straight points that
eventually led to a 20-18 lead for the Wolverines. That lead was
quickly erased thanks to a 9-0 run from the Wildcats that ended the
half. Ennis contributed two layups and forward Kris Jenkins nailed a
3-pointer in the sequence.
Michigan went the final 7:17 of the half without scoring, failing to
convert any of its 10 shots.
There was very little separation by either team early in the first
half that featured eight lead changes.
NOTES: VCU defeated Oregon, 77-63, in the tournament's consolation
game. ... The last time Michigan and Villanova met was in the second
round of the 1985 NCAA Tournament, eventually won by the Wildcats.
... Villanova was a unanimous pick to win the Big East Conference in
the coaches preseason poll. ... Michigan played its fifth game in 10
days. ... Michigan coach John Beilein claimed five of the seven
meetings with Villanova coach Jay Wright from 2003-07 when Beilein
was coaching West Virginia.
[© 2014 Thomson Reuters. All rights
reserved.]
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