The Villanova Wildcats are back in the NCAA championship game for the second time in three years, as the Wildcats slaughtered the Kansas Jayhawks 95-79 in San Antonio at the 2018 Final Four. Jay Wright’s squad shot a blistering 18-40 from three-point land which was a Final Four record for 3s made. Villanova also set an NCAA record for most three-pointers made in a season by eclipsing the record of 443 during the first half of the game.
443+
Most 3s in a season in college basketball history!#LetsMarchNova pic.twitter.com/BmgU7IhPWB
— Villanova MBB (@NovaMBB) April 1, 2018
Eric Paschall led the Wildcats with a career-high 24 points and nailed 4-5 three-point attempts. AP Player of the Year, Jalen Brunson added 18 points and freshman Omari Spellman owned the paint with a 15 point and 13 rebound effort. Overall, Villanova had six players in double figures. Devonte Graham and Malik Newman lead the Jayhawks in scoring at 23 and 21 points respectively but didn’t get much help from the rest of the squad.
The 2018 Final Four game was never really in doubt, as Villanova jumped out to 22-4 lead to start the game and built it up to as much as 22. Kansas never got within 13 points the rest of the way, as the Jayhawk bench only managed 9 points. The combination of Nova’s hot shooting plus not being able to defend the perimeter adequately sealed the fate of the Big 12 champs.
Per The Associated Press:
“That happens sometimes when you’re a good-shooting team and when you start that way,” Villanova coach Jay Wright said. “It’s hard for Kansas, it’s hard to come back. That doesn’t happen often. We’re lucky it happened tonight.”
On the season, the Wildcats have 449 made three-pointers and will likely add to that total in National Championship game on Monday. Next up for Villanova is Big Ten Conference Tournament Champion, the Michigan Wolverines, who came back to overwhelm cinderella sensation, Loyola of Chicago.
