Villanova’s Shinning Moment Comes by the Way of a Buzzer-Beater to Become NCAA Champions

By administrator1 April 5, 2016 00:27

By Francisco Romero

The University of Villanova Wildcats have been crowned the 2016 Men’s NCAA Tournament Champions and deservingly so after a great game, defeating the Tar Heels of North Carolina 77-74.

74,340 fans witnessed a three-point basket by Kris Jenkins as time expired gave the Wildcats the victory, at NRG Stadium in Houston, TX.

With the game tied at 74 and 4.7 seconds on the game clock, Ryan Arcidiacono took an inbound pass from Jenkins, as Arcidiacono reached the three-point arch he passed the ball back to Jenkins and the rest became history, Jenkins scored the winning shot.

It was the first buzzer beater on a 3-pointer in National Championship Game history.

Jenkins was confident his shot would go in, “I think every shot is going in,” he said. “So every shot I shot today I thought was going in so that one was no different.”

Villanova became the first team to win the National Championship Game on a buzzer beater since NC State defeated Houston, 54-52, in Albuquerque, N.M. Monday’s game marked the 33rd anniversary of the 1983 National Championship Game.

Jenkins finished the game with 14 point, Arcidionaco was the leading scored for Villanova with 16 and he added 2 assists and 1 steal.

With his 16 points, Arcidionaco reached double-digit points for the 29th me this season; he was named the tournaments Most Valuable Player.

The Tar Heel’s best scorer was Marcus Paige with 21 points, while Joel Berry added 20.

North Carolina dropped to 5-5 in National Championship Games. Monday’s loss snapped the Tar Heels’ four-game winning streak in National Championship Games. It was UNC’s first loss in the National Championship Game since a 63-50 decision to Indiana on March 30, 1981.

North Carolina’s head coach Roy Williams had nothing but praise for his team after the game, “This is a difficult time period as a coach, and the players, ’cause you fought so hard and you did so much throughout the course of the season to have a chance to win a national championship,” Williams said. “I’ve had some really, really good teams, and some really, really good players. I’ve never been as proud of a group as I am of this group right now”.