Villanova flattens another foe
Wildcats’ run of dominance ends with national title.
SAN ANTONIO — Juggernauts are not supposed to lack a superstar, a catchy nickname, a lineup of future NBA All-Stars or the air of intimidation and moxie that is palpable even in layup lines.
Villanova flipped the script in this edition of March Madness.
The Wildcats (36-4) found a multitude of ways to outflank and out finesse another opponent in a 7962 victory over the Michigan Wolverines before a crowd of 67,831 at the Alamodome on Monday night.
It is the Wildcats’ second national championship in three years, and while it is a younger team than the one that beat North Carolina with a buzzer-beater in 2016, it is unquestionably better.
“I really can’t get my mind around it. I never dreamed of this,” Villanova Coach Jay Wright said after the game. “We just took it one day at a time. We tried to get better every day, and I thought we played our best game in the championship game.”
In a tournament of UMBC and Buffalo, of upsets and outright jolts, and of Loyola-Chicago and Sister Jean’s magical ride, Villanova whisked through Radford, Alabama, West Virginia, Texas Tech, Kansas and Michigan by 26, 23, 12, 12, 16 and 17 points.
“When I looked at their scores in the NCAA Tournament, there were not even any close ones,” Michigan Coach John Beilein said.
Michigan largely had answers for five of Villanova’s top players, but not its sixth: Donte DiVincenzo, who came off the bench to score 31 points. He fueled a first-half comeback from down 21-14, and he put on a show in the second, scoring 11 consecutive points midway through the half.
Beilein sat on his stool with a puzzled look. If it was not DiVincenzo, it seemed, it would have been someone else. With Villanova, there was always somebody.
Villanova led 37-28 at halftime, never let the edge dip below seven points and eventually built a 22-point cushion at 76-54.
Moritz Wagner scored 9 of Michigan’s first 11 points, as the Wolverines found easy buckets in the early minutes. On the other end, Michigan’s length and defensive pressure clogged the passing lanes that Villanova thrives on to generate open shots.
Everything was contested. The Wildcats missed eight of their first nine three-pointers.
The Wolverines (33-8) led 21-14 with 11 minutes left in the half, but Villanova answered with a 9-0 run capped by a Jalen Brunson three-pointer for a 23-21 advantage. The Wildcats never trailed again.
DiVincenzo provided the offensive jolt, scoring 18 of Villanova’s first 32 points. While his teammates hit just five of their first 17 shots, DiVincenzo rallied the Wildcats to the nine-point halftime lead.
“The way DiVincenzo shot the ball, it was just incredible for us to try to win that game with the roll he went on,” Beilein said.
With Michigan refusing to go away early in the second
half, DiVincenzo opened his game-sealing run with an around-the-back dribble to get to the hoop and get fouled. On the other end, he delivered a two-handed rejection of Michigan’s Charles Matthews — his second block of the game — when Matthews tried to bring it into the paint.
“Blocked shots, definitely,” DiVincenzo said when asked if he enjoys three-pointers or rejections more. “I pride myself on defense and just bringing energy to the team.”
The three-pointer that sealed it came from a big step behind the arc and gave Villanova a 62-44 lead with a bit less than eight minutes left.
About the only drama left was whether DiVincenzo could unwrap himself from his teammates’ mob hug to toss the ball underhanded toward the scoreboard after the buzzer. He succeeded there, too.
He ended the night 10-of-15 shooting from the field and 5 of 7 on three-pointers to win the Final Four’s Most Outstanding Player.
Mikal Bridges finished with 19 in what could be his final audition for the NBA. Brunson — The Associated Press player of the year — was celebrating despite an off night of nine points and two rebounds. Omari Spellman added eight points and 11 rebounds for Villanova.
Michigan was led by Muhammad-Ali Abdur-Rahkman’s 23 points on 8-of-13 shooting from the floor. Wagner added 16 points and seven rebounds, but the Wolverines were only 3 of 23 from three-point range. The national champions made 10 of 27 behind the arc two nights after making a Final Four-record 18 against Kansas.