In the first half, Villanova led by a point with 3:47 left in the first half and Kansas with 14:17. In the second half, Villanova hit six 3-pointers and had a 47-32 lead. With nine:12 left, Kansas had cut the lead to one point. However, Jaylen Paschall drained 14 three-pointers in the second half. This matchup has now become a classic in college basketball.
While the two teams split the head-to-head series, Villanova won the second game by a score of 43-37. In the third game, the two teams were tied at 33-all. That’s when Kansas came back and tied it at 47-all. Both teams made some big shots down the stretch. Then late in the second half, Samuels hit a monster three-pointer to put the game away for Villanova.
Devonte Graham led the way with 23 points and Malik Newman added 21. The two-star guards combined to make only six 3-pointers. The Jayhawks didn’t have a lot of help from their opponents and had more turnovers than field goals. In the postgame, the players focused on defense rather than a shooting clinic. As a result, Villanova has the advantage in the all-time series 5-4.
Both teams have had a great season. In the first game of the season, the Wildcats were ranked eighth in the country. They were 6-0 when the Wildcats defeated them, but their coach did the right thing by inserting Malik Newman. That’s why Villanova is a top team in the country. But this was not a perfect game for Kansas, and they need more games like this to prove themselves.
While Kansas didn’t have a great season, the Wildcats made a huge effort in the Final Four and are the favorite in this matchup. The wildcats drained 14 3s in the game to beat Kansas, a record that UNLV had set in 1987. Isaiah Moss and Collin Gillespie each made threes, but neither team was able to get the win.
The game was close throughout, with each team attempting to score at least eight points per quarter. Despite their lack of talent in the postseason, Kansas’ national player, Malik Newman, had a good night. The Wildcats were only able to make five threes, but they did manage to hit a few of them. This was a team that needed the win, so the victory was worth it.
The first half was a battle between two teams with different strategies. The first half had a number of contested baskets, but Kansas had a strong defensive presence. But the second half had many ties, and neither team could break them. The second half was close as well, with both teams scoring a goal at the end of each quarter. It was not until the last minute that Villanova managed to pull off the win that it became the AP No. 1 team in history.
