AZCENTRAL SPORTS

Wagner, Michigan face Villanova for the title

Loyola-Chicago Ramblers head coach Porter Moser and guard Marques Townes embrace after losing to the Michigan Wolverines 69-57 in the 2018 men's Final Four.

SAN ANTONIO – Beyond the 3-point arc, Jordan Poole pulled up from the left corner, but like many Michigan shots Saturday night, this one was short. No worries. The ball bounced off the rim and into the hands of the best player on the court.

Moritz Wagner has been solid all season. Second-team All-Big Ten. Conference tournament Most Outstanding Player. Here, in the national semifinals, he was better.

The 6-foot-11 forward did the heavy lifting in Michigan’s 69-57 win over Loyola-Chicago at the Alamodome. He produced 24 points and a careerhigh 15 rebounds, his put-back off the Poole miss a key moment in a dominant second-half rally that put the contest out of reach.

When it was over, Wagner walked out of the Michigan locker room, saw a couple teammates crowding a golf cart that would take them to the postgame news conference and immediately let them know: “I can definitely tell you one thing: I’m not walking.”

With Michigan set to face No. 1 seed Villanova – a convincing 95-79 winner over Kansas in Saturday’s late Final Four contest – Wagner needed the rest. To win Monday’s national championship, he might have to be better. His teammates will have no choice.

Aside from a brief stretch in February, Villanova has been the country’s best team. The Wildcats showed as much against Kansas, jumping to a 22-4 lead. Early in the second half, they stretched their lead to 22.