NCAA Championship: Mario Chalmers hit one of the biggest three-pointers in NCAA Tournament history, leading to a 75-68 national championship for Kansas. Chalmers drained a game-tying shot at the top of the key with two seconds remaining to help Kansas complete a furious rally late in the second half and force overtime. Trailing 60-51, Kansas held the Tigers without a basket for the final two minutes. Memphis missed three crucial free throws, setting the stage for Chalmers’ heroics. The Jayhawks carried the momentum into overtime, outscoring Memphis 12-5 as the Tigers looked shellshocked that they had let the lead slip away.
In a closely contested game in which neither team led by double digits, junior swingman Chris Douglas-Roberts led everyone with 22 points. Freshman point guard Derrick Rose was solid for Memphis with 18 points, eight assists and six rebounds, but he also committed five turnovers — more than he combined for in wins against UCLA, Texas and Michigan State. The Tigers’ free throw woes returned to haunt Memphis as the Tigers finished 12-of-19 from the line.
Sophomore forward Darrell Arthur led the Jayhawks in scoring with 20 points, and he added 10 rebounds. He had a couple of alley-oop dunks to energize Kansas, which finished with a 52.7 shooting percentage. Kansas’ savior, Chalmers, finished 18 points, four steals, three rebounds and three assists. [4/07/08]
