Memphis certainly played a great game, so it was unfortunate for them to lose.
But let's be realistic here, Memphis did not outplay Kansas for 38 minutes. That is backed up statistically and from watching the game.
First half Kansas played a tiny bit better. But in all honesty, it was just a back and forth, even half. Kansas shot better, better rebounding, more points, and held Memphis' stars at bay. The only reason it was still close was because of the turnover differential.
Second half, Kansas was still a bit better until about 13 minutes left to go. That is when Rose took over and Memphis was the better team. In the final two minutes (and then the 5 minutes of OT), Kansas was the better team.
Kansas was the deserved winner, but Memphis has no reason at all to hang their heads. They played a wonderful game and should be proud.
It truly is a shame that more championship games are not like this one, with both teams playing about as well as they could.
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