CPD
Chalk it up to the line
Tuesday, April 08, 2008Doug Lesmerises
Plain Dealer Reporter
San Antonio- In the greatest marketing campaign for free-throw shooting videos ever conceived, the Memphis Tigers gave away the NCAA men's basketball title Monday night.
"When you have the kind of lead we had, you're supposed to win the game," Memphis coach John Calipari said. "It's on all of us."
Kansas accepted the gift, made the big shots, stole the momentum and struck a blow for fundamentals in a 75-68 overtime victory, the seventh championship game forced into an extra five minutes and the first since 1997.
"We made so many plays down the stretch," Kansas coach Bill Self said, "and got the ball into our most clutch player's hands and he delivered."
Down three with 10.8 seconds to play, that player was Mario Chalmers. After a downcourt dash by Sherron Collins, when Memphis tried to foul Collins and didn't get a call, Chalmers took a feed and launched a 3-pointer from the top of the key. That ripped the net cords with 2.1 seconds to play to tie it, 63-63. But it should never have reached that point.
"I just dropped to my knees," said dumbfounded Memphis center Joey Dorsey, watching from the bench after his fifth foul, "because I just knew we were going to cut the nets down."
Almost. Ahead, 60-51, with two minutes to play, the Tigers made a crucial turnover on an inbounds pass that led to a Kansas 3-pointer, then missed four of five foul shots in the final 1:15.
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