Duke prevails; Butler had their chances.

The National Championship game was a game of close calls. Butler had many opportunities to score. Duke had many opportunities to pull away. Gordon Hayward came within inches of what would have been one of the greatest college basketball shots of all time. Duke gets the close win, 61-59.

Despite the game being close, Butler couldn’t hit field goals down the stretch. They missed seven of nine attempts, including a 3-pointer to tie, a two-pointer to go ahead and a 3-pointer to win in the final minute. The Butler three, Hayward, Shelvin Mack and Matt Howard, shot 10-34 from the field. Duke’s three, Jon Scheyer, Kyle Singler and Nolan Smith, shot 17-40 from the field.

Duke also began using their size in the second half. They won the offensive rebound battle eight to two after losing 10-3 in the first half.

Although Duke won, Butler played an amazing game. They did everything they needed to do, except make the shots at the end. Butler had their chances, but in the end, Duke was the better team. It was a great March Madness, and the title game couldn’t have been better.

Note: Alanna Medearis wins the I Am Sportacus bracket challenge with 123 points. She successfully chose Duke as the champion. Congratulations.