NEW ORLEANS (RNN) - Doron Lamb hit second-half clutch shots, scored 22 points and helped Kentucky hold off a furious Kansas comeback to take a 67-59 win in the NCAA championship game.
The win earned Kentucky its eighth national championship, its first since 1998. It was the first national title for Wildcats coach John Calipari, who is in his third year at UK.
Calipari said his team's defense was the difference in the game.
"They did it with defense, unbelievable defense in the first half," he said of his Wildcats (38-2), who led 41-27 at the half after leading by as much as 18. It was the biggest halftime deficit of the year for Kansas, which finished the year 32-7.
Kansas came back, though, as it had throughout the tournament.
The Jayhawks had fought back from double-digit deficits three times as they slugged their way through the tournament to the title game, and made a serious run at the more talented Kentucky team. The Jayhawks came within five points, 62-57, when Thomas Robinson hit two free throws with 1:37 left.
That was as close as they could come. Kansas coach Bill Self had a simple explanation why this comeback fell short.
"They're good," Self said of Kentucky. "We started the second half about as well as we could, and they played a little passive. We came up short, but I don't think we lost, they just beat us."
After Kansas had rallied to cut the margin to 48-38 midway through the second half, Lamb canned a pair of 3-pointers over a 38-second span and swung the momentum back to the Wildcats.
"In second half I pulled the reins back a little," Calipari said.
His players wanted him to pick the pace up.
"They were saying, ‘let us go, coach, let us go,'" he said.
But Kentucky maintained its deliberate pace, and held a 59-44 lead with 4:42 left when Tyshawn Taylor, who led Kansas with 19 points, hit a 3-pointer that started the Jayhawks' final run.
The Wildcats hit 5-of-6 free throws, including Lamb's final two, in the final 1:11 to hold on for the win.
Marquis Teague had 14 points and Michael Kidd-Gilchrist added 11 for Kentucky.
Tournament Most Outstanding Player and National Player of the Year Anthony Davis only scored 6 points, but he dominated the boards with 16 rebounds. He dished five assists, as well.
"I told my team, y'all score the ball, I'm just going to get the rebounds," Davis said.
Robinson had 18 points and 17 rebounds for Kansas, Elijah Johnson scored 13.
Copyright 2012 Raycom News Network. All rights reserved.
