On Monday, the Michigan Wolverines and Villanova Wildcats squared off in the 2018 National Championship Game in what appeared to be a battle between David and Goliath. While Villanova was looking for their second tournament victory in just three years, Michigan was hoping to come away with their first title since 1989. Throughout this year’s tourney, the Wildcats have run through all of their competitors, defeating each opposing team by an average of 17.8 points. The Wolverines, on the other hand, would have been bounced in the second round, if it weren’t for the heroics of freshman guard Jordan Poole.
This time, Goliath won: After a strong first half, Villanova pulled away and won the championship with a dominating 79-62 rout.
Following a stirring monologue from Chadwick Boseman, along with appearances from Big Sean and Black Thought, who were repping Michigan and Villanova, respectively, it was officially championship time.
Midway through the first half, Michigan jumped ahead 21-14 before Villanova went on a 23-7 run to close the half. Nova’s surge was ignited by sophomore guard Donte DiVincenzo, who scored 12 of his 18 first half points during their run. The Wildcats went into halftime with a 37-28 lead.
That nine-point lead would extend into the double digits for the duration of the second half. Villanova's bench outscored Michigan's 29-3, while DiVincenzo finished with 31 points, the most in a championship game since 1989. As a result, Philadelphia got its second major championship in two months.
