1. Home
  2. Sports
  3. Basketball

2008 NCAA Tournament: Championship Game Recap

Rock, Chalk... Jayhawk

by Charlie Zegers
for About.com

The Jayhawks raise their championship trophy

Wearing their championship t-shirts and hats, the Jayhawks hoist their trophy.

Getty Images / Jed Jacobsohn
(1) Kansas 75, (1) Memphis 68 (OT): For weeks, John Calipari has been telling us his team's most obvious flaw -- foul shooting -- wouldn't be an issue in this tournament. And with an impressive display against UCLA in the Final Four -- when the Tigers hit 20-of-23 from the line -- lots of people started to believe.

Kansas coach Bill Self wasn't convinced.

Down nine points with just over two minutes in the game, Self put Memphis' foul shooting to the test... and the Tigers failed miserably. Chris Douglas-Roberts and Derrick Rose were unable to convert from the line, missing five of six free throws in the last minute-plus, allowing the Jayhawks to creep back within three.

And then a circus-worthy bomb from Mario Chalmers sent the game into overtime.

Playing the extra period without enforcer Joey Dorsey, who fouled out during Kansas' game-tying run to end the second half, Memphis just looked exhausted. Kansas scored the first six points of overtime and went on to win by seven -- winning the fourth national championship in school history and first since 1988.

Explore Basketball

About.com Special Features

Learn to Pitch

Strike out the competition with these step-by-step pictorials. More >

Introduction to Pilates

Learning Pilates fundamentals can help you get the most out of your exercise regime. More >

  1. Home
  2. Sports
  3. Basketball
  4. College Basketball
  5. NCAA Tournament
  6. 2008 Tournament Recap
  7. NCAA Tournament: Championship Game Recap>

©2009 About.com, a part of The New York Times Company.

All rights reserved.