Kentucky holds off Kansas, wins 8th national hoops crown

Kentucky's John Calipari finally has his national championship.

His Wildcats, the NCAA tournament's overall number one seed, lived up to that seeding with a 67-59 win over Kansas in the championship game Monday night at the Superdome.

Anthony Davis became only the fourth freshman to win Most Outstanding Player. Davis scored only 6 points, but added 5 assists, 6 blocked shots, and 3 steals. Guard Doron Lamb led the Wildcats with 22 points. Davis led a stingy Kentucky defense that held Kansas to a season low in points. Kansas made only 22 of 62 field goal attempts.

Tyshawn Taylor scored 19 points for Kansas, now 3-6 in championship games. Thomas Robinson scored 18 points and hauled in 17 rebounds.

Kentucky siezed control of the game with a 16-4 first half run. The Wildcats led 39-21, and 41-27 at the half. No team had ever come from more than 10 points down at halftime to win the NCAA championship game. Kansas got as close as 6.

Calipari said the championship was not for him, but "these 13 kids and the Big Blue Nation."

The 2012 Final Four was the 5th at the Superdome. The others were in 1982,1987, 1993, and 2003.