Photo from the University of Michigan website.
Photo from University of Michigan website.
"Close but no cigar," as the old carnival saying goes.
The University of Michigan Wolverines went further than anyone expected, and on Monday night met their match, bowing to Villanova 79-62 in the finals.
Bob Wojnowski writes in his Detroit News column:
Villanova was much too much, led by reserve Donte DiVincenzo, and rolled to a 79-62 victory Monday night for the national championship in the Alamadome. There’s no shame in going as far as you can and getting beat by the best, although the Wolverines will lament their anemic 3-point shooting (3-for-23) and another batch of missed free throws. They hadn’t faced anyone like this, beating no team seeded higher than No. 6, and got breaks along the way.
No breaks here, just broken down, and there was a reason the Wildcats were such heavy favorites to win their second title in three years. When their star, Jalen Brunson, struggled against Michigan’s defense, they brought a shooter off the bench, and DiVincenzo was ruthless, scoring 18 in the first half and finishing with 31.
It was astonishing, and for the Wolverines, astonishingly reminiscent. In their last championship appearance in 2013, they led Louisville until reserve Luke Hancock got hot. He scored 22 points and the Cardinals prevailed 82-76, and five years later, the Wolverines were undone the same way.
