Ratings boost: NCAA title game viewership up 30 percent

NEW YORK (AP) — Perhaps with an assist from the memory of Villanova’s Kris Jenkins, viewership for the NCAA national championship game between Gonzaga and North Carolina was up 30 percent from past year. Well MJ, there’s no roof now the Tar Heels are back at the top of the mountain as the kings of college hoops.

Jackson and Joel Berry, the Final Four’s Most Outstanding Player, were also asked to speak, and both repeated the same sentiment. “The ups and downs that we had, it’s all worth it”.

“Coach Rob just said, ‘remember that moment and how we felt a year ago”.

“The three seniors who spoke have really been through a lot”, Williams said.

When North Carolina’s slugfest with Gonzaga came to an end Monday night, the Tar Heels had all their answers: The national title was theirs, the nets were hanging around their necks, their redemption tour was a.

It was certainly competitive, but with both teams’ tough defenses locking up the main offensive options, the game turned into a foul-laden slog rather than a shootout.

Nigel Williams-Goss had given Gonzaga a 65-63 lead by nailing a short jumper with 1:55 to play, but the Bulldogs came up empty on their final four possessions after Jackson’s heroics.

A stop-and-start second half didn’t help either team find a rhythm. As he wrestled with Gonzaga’s Silas Melson for the ball with his left hand, the palm of Meeks’s right hand rested on the court out of bounds.

The drama was high for the entire second half as the score remained tight, but boy was there some poor basketball being played (and officiated) all around.

Williams said after the game that he needed to “think on” a visit to the White House. “I had quite a few messages and one of them was from Michael, so I collected some money last night”.

“26-for-73, you’re not going to win many games; 57 percent from the free-throw line you’re not going to win many games”, Jackson said. On every level, in every way, it was an atrocious basketball game.

“I had no issue whatsoever”. I thought they did a fabulous job. “And I’m on the losing end”.

Gonzaga’s strength – its enormity in the post – became problematic early in the second half as well, with all three of its bigs finding themselves in serious foul trouble, though some played through it. He was forced to spend most of the rest of the game on the bench, and he picked up his fifth foul with six minutes to go.

Hicks finished with 13 points and nine rebounds. Nokhia Meeks said she’s grateful for Williams. “But we got three because I’ve got these guys with me and that’s all I care about right now – my guys”. On the previous two possessions, Williams-Goss had scored.

During the season, he averaged 7.6 minutes per game while averaging 1.9 points per game. Guard Justin Perkins scored 13 – all in the first half. North Carolina had far more points in the paint than Gonzaga. Pretty bad. The Zig-Zags nailed only 20 of 59 shots (33.9 percent).

The NCAA College Basketball National Championship was contested between Gonzaga and North Carolina on Monday night. “I should have told you let me think about it afterwards, because I wasn’t going to jinx myself”.

Now, that one call wasn’t what won North Carolina its latest championship.