Louisville head coach Rick Pitino becomes the first ever coach to win a National Title with two different schools as the Cardinals went on to beat No. 4 Michigan 82-76 in the NCAA Championship Game.
After trailing Michigan 38-37 (which would’ve been more if it wasn’t for Luke Hancock’s 14 points in a minute and a half) Louisville was able to surge past the Wolverines in the second half for 45 points. As mentioned Luke Hancock scored 22 points to lead all Cardinal scorers. He was also named the Most Outstanding Player of the Final Four after scoring a phenomenal 42 points over the course of two games.
The game itself also wasn’t short on the highlight reel plays. During the first half, Louisville’s Montreazl Harrell capped a Cardinal 14-2 run with this sick alley-oop dunk. But it wasn’t just the big plays, as the minutes ticked away in the opening frame Michigan and Louisville put on what was probably the best half in the Tournament.
For Michigan Trey Burke, the National Player of the Year had 24 points to lead all scorers as he desperately tried to get his team back into the game late. Pounding the paint in the waning minutes Burke certainly looked like he was ready for the NBA if he in fact chooses to make that jump over the summer. Meanwhile Spike Albrecht who looked as though he couldn’t be stopped in the first half had 17 points. But those 17 points by the freshman Albrecht would be the only he’d see all night as he went scoreless in the second half.
In the end both teams got themselves into foul trouble but it was the younger Michigan team that was unable to overcome as the Cardinals buckled down and closed them out.
Siva w the net. twitter.com/rushthecourt/s…
— Rush the Court (@rushthecourt) April 9, 2013
And during the net cutting ceremony, Kevin Ware was the last to make the cut as the hoop was brought down to him. What a way to end things for Louisville.
