In what will go down as one of the most dramatic endings to an NCAA National Championship game, two three pointers in the last five seconds decided it. After UNC\u2019s Marcus Paige tied the score on a three with 4.7 seconds left, Villanova\u2019s Kris Jenkins hit a long three at the buzzer to give Villanova a 77-74 victory and the NCAA title.<\/p>\n
Unable to get inside, North Carolina still led 39-34 at the half after hitting seven threes. In the second half, Carolina went cold. On two different occasions, the Tar Heels went almost four minutes without scoring. After shooting over 50 percent in the first half, the Heels managed just 34 percent in the second half.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, Villanova, who shot 58 percent in the second half, went on a 19-7 run to take a five-point lead and increased the margin to 10 at 67-57 with 5:29 to go.<\/p>\n
During a timeout, and down 10, UNC coach Roy Williams made the team a promise.<\/p>\n
\u201cI promised them if they did what I told them to do, we\u2019d have a chance to win at the end,\u201d Williams said with his voice cracking. \u201cI just wish I could have done a little bit more.\u201d<\/p>\n
The Tar Heels did indeed come back and had a chance. Two free throws by Joel Berry, who scored 20 points, and a dunk by Brice Johnson cut the deficit to 67-61 with 4:11 left. A Berry three-point shot with 3:46 left cut the margin to three at 67-64.<\/p>\n
Villanova\u2019s Phil Booth, who scored a career-high 20 points off the bench, stopped the run with a big fade-away jumper in the lane to make it 69-64 with 3:09 left.<\/p>\n
Down 70-64, UNC scored five straight on a three by Paige and a short jumper by Brice Johnson to cut the lead to 70-69 with 1:10 left. Nova\u2019s Booth hit a couple of free throws after a controversial foul on UNC\u2019s Isaiah Hicks that drew \u201cahs\u201d and \u201cboos\u201d from the crowd when they watched the replay in the NRG Stadium.<\/p>\n
Paige wouldn\u2019t give up as he missed a driving layup, got the rebound and hit a reverse layup with 24 seconds left to once again draw the Heels to within a point at 72-71.<\/p>\n
Villanova melted the clock until Johnson could foul Josh Hart but Hart hit both free throws to make it 74-71 with 14 seconds left.<\/p>\n
That\u2019s when Paige made perhaps the most remarkable shot of the season for Carolina when he double clutched in mid air and shot a three as his body was coming back down to earth. It went in with 4.7 seconds left to tie it at 74-all.<\/p>\n
After a Villanova timeout, the Tar Heels set up a press so that the Wildcats would have to take it the length of the court. That\u2019s just what happened as Ryan Arcidiacono dribbled up court, flipped it to Jenkins who shot the ball from the right side of the top of the key with less than a second to play. UNC\u2019s Hicks was converging on him but couldn\u2019t get there in time.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen we were down 10, we believed we were going to win,\u201d Paige said. \u201cKris (Jenkins) is their best three-point shooter. He got a pretty a clean look for whatever reason.\u201d<\/p>\n
The reason is that Hicks and Berry, covering Acridiacono, got into each other a bit and Hicks didn\u2019t get out quick enough to bother the shot. \u201cI think every shot\u2019s going in, and this one was no different,\u201d Jenkins said.<\/p>\n
UNC\u2019s Berry said, \u201cI was just hoping it was still in his hand when the buzzer went off. It was tough feeling that confetti fall and it\u2019s not for you.\u201d<\/p>\n