The Can’t-Miss Team? It’s Villanova : Coach Says McLain Won It for Wildcats

There were only two seconds remaining in the NCAA championship game Monday night when Villanova guard Harold Jensen inbounded the ball to forward Dwayne McClain.

McClain dropped to the floor as if he was football quarterback falling to one knee to use up time.

Then, looking up from his prone position, he smiled and said, “This is it,” while thrusting his arm into the air in a victory gesture.

Villanova had scored a 66-64 win over No. 1-ranked Georgetown, a team that had been expected to take its place in college basketball history along with UCLA, USF, Kentucky and others as one of the greatest teams of all time.

But, on one night, Villanova was No. 1, a Cinderella team that had lost to Georgetown twice during the regular season.

It was an upset of even greater proportions than North Carolina State’s stunning victory over Houston in 1983.

“It’s the greatest moment in Villanova basketball history,” Wildcat Coach Rollie Massimino said. “Everyone wrote us off as if they didn’t think we had a chance to win.”

Gary McLain, Villanova’s point guard, who resisted the pressure of Georgetown’s smothering defense, was elated but not surprised that his team deprived Georgetown of, perhaps, a place in history.

“We had beaten them before,” (last season) said the senior guard. “Georgetown deserves all its accolades, but tonight we played with a lot heart. Some people said that we should just go to dinner tonight and not even play the game.”

Villanova was a 9 1/2-point underdog, but it didn’t crack under pressure. The Wildcats shot an NCAA-record 78.6% for the game and missed only one shot in the second half.

Massimino said it would take a perfect game to beat Georgetown, and Villanova was certainly close to perfection.

“We held mass today after our pregame meal,” Massimino said. “I told our players to go to their rooms and to think about two things. One, not to play with idea of not losing, but play to win. Two, in a one-shot deal, you can beat anyone in the United States.”

Villanova finished third in the Big East Conference during the regular season. But it had served notice on Georgetown by extending the Hoyas before losing, 52-50, in overtime in one game and 57-50 in another.

“I put the figure 59 on a blackboard before the game, and that’s the figure we wanted to hold them to,” Massimino said. “When I looked up and saw they had 64, I knew that we were in that range. I told you earlier that we usually win when the other team scores in the 60s.

“We didn’t try to hold the ball. We just tried to control the tempo. But it wasn’t a great coaching job that we shot 79%.”

Villanova, of course, won with its accurate, selective shooting. But it also got back quickly on defense, got a standoff on the boards with Georgetown, and didn’t allow Patrick Ewing, the Hoyas’ 7-foot center, to dominate the game.

Ed Pinckney, Villanova 6-9 center, who was voted the outstanding player of the tournament, outscored Ewing, 16 points to 14, and got one more rebound, 6 to 5.

Asked if this was his greatest game, the senior center said: “No, two years ago in my sophomore year against Georgetown, I scored 27 points and got 22 rebounds. Patrick is a great player and you have to be aware of him all the time.”

Pinckney said he wasn’t into the flow of the offense at the outset of the game, adding that, perhaps, he was too aware of Ewing. But he settled down, and so did his teammates.

Villanova led, but not by much, most of the second half, and stayed in front the final 39 seconds when McClain made four straight free throws and forward Harold Pressley added another one.

With a few seconds remaining, McLain, the exuberant senior guard, held up his arms in the traditional victory signal and, when the game ended, the net-cutting ceremony was shared by the entire team.

Massimino effusively praised McLain, who had only two turnovers while in control of the ball most of the time against the fierce Georgetown pressure. Other teams usually succumb to such pressure some time during a game.

“Gary was the unsung player tonight,” Massimino said. “He had only seven turnovers in six tournament games while playing against the best guards in the country. There is no way we could have won without him. Pressley helped out to relieve the pressure on him (handling the ball).”

McLain said he was taunted by Michael Jackson, Georgetown’s point guard.

“He said a lot of things, which meant he wasn’t concentrating on the game,” McLain said. “I hope he isn’t that kind of person for the things he said.”

Villanova marched through the tournament by knocking off highly ranked teams. The Wildcats beat No. 2 Michigan, No. 5 Memphis State in the NCAA semifinals, among others, and then reached up to the top to take care of Georgetown.

Ewing said he still thought his team was the best in the country.

McLain just shrugged, smiled and said, “Everyone is entitled to his own thoughts.

Massimino said he didn’t drastically alter his game plan for a third meeting with Georgetown, but conceded that he changed his alignment while on offense to disrupt Georgetown’s press.

Villanova had 17 turnovers, but when the game was on the line, Massimino’s team kept its poise.

McLain said he was physically and emotionally drained because of the constant pressure that Georgetown applies, especially to ball handlers.

“But you get your second wind when you see that everything is going well and the shots are going in.” he said.

Massimino was asked Sunday if he he thought his team would be likened to North Carolina State if it upset Georgetown.

“There’s one little difference,” Massimino said. “North Carolina State didn’t have to play Georgetown.”

Villanova took care of that “one little difference” Monday night.

NCAA FINAL / The Numbers VILLANOVA

Min FG-A FT-A R A P T Pressley 40 4-6 3-4 4 1 1 11 McClain 40 5-7 7-8 1 3 3 17 Pinckny 37 5-7 6-7 6 5 3 16 Wilbur 5 0-0 0-0 0 1 0 0 McLain 40 3-3 2-2 2 2 2 8 Jensen 34 5-5 4-5 1 2 2 14 Plansky 1 0-0 0-1 0 0 1 0 Everson 3 0-0 0-0 0 0 0 0 Totals 200 22-28 22-27 14 14 12 66

Shooting: Field goals, 78.6%; free throws, 81.5%

GEORGETOWN

Min FG-A FT-A R A P T Martin 37 4-6 2-2 5 1 2 10 Williams 29 5-9 0-2 4 2 3 10 Ewing 39 7-13 0-0 5 2 4 14 Jackson 37 4-7 0-0 0 9 4 8 Wingate 39 8-14 0-0 2 2 4 16 McDonld 2 0-1 0-0 0 0 0 0 Broadnx 13 1-2 2-2 1 2 4 4 Dalton 4 0-1 2-2 0 0 1 2 Totals 200 29-53 6-8 17 18 22 64

Shooting: Field goals, 54.7%; free throws, 75.0%

Villanova.............29 37--66 Georgetown............28 36--64 Attendance--23,124