It was theirs as soon as Mario Chalmers’ desperation three ripped the bottom of the net to tie the game at 63, sending the Kansas Jayhawks into an overtime bout against Memphis to decide the national champion.
National Championship: Kansas 75, Memphis 68
It was theirs as soon as Mario Chalmers’ desperation three ripped the bottom of the net to tie the game at 63, sending the Kansas Jayhawks into an overtime bout against Memphis to decide the national champion.
The Jayhawks took control over the next five minutes, outscoring the Tigers 12-5 in overtime to claim the NCAA National Championship. And although the Jayhawks’ effort to make up a nine-point deficit with two minutes left in regulation neared heroism, they owe their victory to the same thing that has plagued Memphis all year: missed free-throws.
Memphis junior Chris Douglas-Roberts missed two free-throws and star freshman Derrick Rose missed another during the Jayhawks end-of-the-game fouling frenzy. These represent points that would as much as have secured the game for the Tigers, if not only made a comeback more difficult for Kansas.
The victory gives Kansas its third men’s basketball National Championship, and its first since 1988. The win also makes Portland State’s trip to March Madness a little more vindicating-the Vikings lost to the newly crowned champions in the first round of the tournament.
