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 It was a fitting end to a springtime single-elimination
competition known affectionately as 'March Madness' for its regular
upsets and last-second victories.
Jenkins' jump shot from distance splashed through the hoop with no
time left on the clock, five seconds after Marcus Paige had rattled
in an off-balance heave from outside the arc for the Tar Heels to
tie the NCAA Final at 74-74.
The victory gave the Philadelphia-area university a second national
title, adding to a 1985 upset victory over Georgetown.
Back-up guard Phil Booth led the winners with 20 points, hitting
six-of-seven shots with backcourt mate Ryan Arcidiacono adding 16.
Paige led North Carolina with 21 points with his fellow guard Joel
Berry scoring 20.
Top seeds North Carolina, a double-digit winner in each of their
five games en route to the final, held a 39-34 halftime lead in
pursuit of a sixth title but the Wildcats battled back, going on a
33-16 run to forge a 10-point lead with 5:29 left.
Second seeds Villanova were denied a stroll to the finish by the
desperate Tar Heels, whose fan section featured more than 50 former
players, including Hall of Famer Michael Jordan, who as a freshman
hit the winning shot in their 1982 title victory.
Using superior size to shut down access to the hoop, North Carolina
(33-7) staged a fierce comeback, capped by Paige's desperation
three-pointer that seemed likely to send the game to overtime.
However, senior guard Arcidiacono raced down the court and shoveled
a pass to an open Jenkins, who pulled the trigger on a classic
game-winner that sent ecstatic Villanova (35-5) players into a heap
on the floor as confetti rained down.
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After Paige's electric, game-tying three-pointer, Villanova coach
Jay Wright called time to set up their final play.
"We put it in Arch's hands," Wright said. "It's Arch's job to make a
decision. Arch made the perfect pass and Kris Jenkins lives for that
moment."
Jenkins, nicknamed the Big Smooth, said: "I think every shot is
going in. So that one was no different."
Arcidiacono, named the Final Four's Most Outstanding Player, said:
"It's an unbelievable way to go out. That's just something that
everyone dreams about."
Teary-eyed North Carolina coach Roy Williams said: "I've been a head
coach for 28 years and the worst thing is, with a loss like this I
feel so inadequate because I don't know how to make it better."
(Reporting by Larry Fine in New York; Editing by John O'Brien)
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