One month and 64 games later, Kansas comes out on top of the madness in overtime victory over No. 1 seed Memphis
In a battle of number one seeds, the Kansas Jayhawks was the only team left with the distinction of being number one after a thrilling overtime 75-68 win over the Memphis Tigers.
Kansas overcame a nine-point deficit with 2:12 remaining in the fourth quarter to tie it up on a Mario Chalmers three pointer with seconds left.
Long the talk of the tournament, Memphis’ poor free-throw shooting came back to bite them in the championship, going 1-5 from the charity stripe in the game’s most precious moments.
The game’s final minutes belonged to the Jayhawks as they took the game’s momentum into overtime to beat the Tigers.
The Tigers were punished inside in overtime with Joey Dorsey forced to sit on the bench after fouling out.
Kansas forward Darnell Arthur helped battle Dorey inside, leading the offensive charge, finishing with 20 points and 10 rebounds.
Arthur hadn’t scored in double digits since the tournament’s opening game against Portland State.
Kansas head coach Bill Self walked away with his first title, while the Jayhawks claimed their first championship since 1988.
It wasn’t quite 1988’s “Danny and the Miracles” cutting down the nets in San Antonio, but Self’s squad overcame a scare from little-known Davidson to reach the Final Four.
Tenth seeded Davidson came within one shot of drowning the Jayhawks’ title hopes, losing the game on a missed three pointer with no time remaining.
Kansas handily took out North Carolina, led by National Player of the Year candidate Tyler Hansborough, in the final four to reach the championship game.
