SPORTS
TUESDAY, APRIL 3, 2018
1B
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MEN’S NCAA CHAMPIONSHIP | RECAP
Villanova takes title, 79-62 over Michigan
’Nova’s DiVincenzo
came off the bench
to score 31 points
By EDDIE PELLS
Associated Press
SAN ANTONIO — They chanted
his name from the cheap seats: “Di-Vin-
cen-zo, Di-Vin-cen-zo.” By the time
Donte DiVincenzo was done doing his
damage, Villanova had another title and
college basketball had its newest star.
The redhead kid with the nickname
Big Ragu came off the bench to score 31
points Monday and lift ‘Nova to another
blowout tournament victory — this time
79-62 over Michigan for its second title
in three seasons.
The sophomore guard had 12 points
and an assist during a first-half run to
help the Wildcats (36-4) pull ahead,
then scored nine straight for Villanova
midway through the second to put
the game away. He capped it with a
3-pointer from a step behind the arc that
he celebrated with a knowing wink over
to TV announcers Jim Nantz and Bill
Raftery on the sideline.
Villanova won all six games by
double digits over this tournament run,
joining Michigan State (2000), Duke
(2001) and North Carolina (2009) in
that rare air.
“I thought we played our best game
in the championship game,” coach Jay
Wright said.
The last team to win its two Final
Four games by 16 or more: UCLA in
1968. During the dynasty.
One key question: Does Wright’s
team belong on the list of the best of
all-time?
Maybe so, considering the way
Villanova dismantled everyone in front
of it in a tournament that was dripping
with upsets, underdogs and at least the
appearance of parity.
Maybe
so,
considering
the
Wildcats won in seemingly every
way imaginable. This victory came
two nights after they set a Final Four
record with 18 3-pointers, and one
week after they relied more on defense
in a win over Texas Tech in the Elite
Eight.
That debate’s for later.
DiVincenzo squashed any questions
about this game with a 10-for-15
shooting night — 5 for 7 from 3 —that
was really better than that, making him
an easy winner for most outstanding
player in the Final Four.
See FINAL FOUR/3B
AP Photo/Chris Steppig, NCAA Photos Pool
Villanova’s Donte DiVincenzo (10) goes up for a shot
past Michigan’s Charles Matthews (1) during the second
half in Monday’s championship game in San Antonio.
Prep roundup
Pendleton
track travels
to Tri-Cities,
places eighth
East Oregonian
Staff photo by E.J. Harris
Pendleton junior Megan George chips out of a sand trap on the ninth green on Monday at the Wildhorse Invitational in Mission.
Golfers challenged
at Wildhorse Invite
See ROUNDUP/2B
High winds, chilly temperatures made for challenging round
By ERIC SINGER
East Oregonian
M
ISSION — Sixty-eight golfers from
10 different high schools descended
on Wildhorse Resort Golf Course on
Monday afternoon for the annual Wildhorse
Invite, and all 68 were put to the test as
constant 20 mph winds and chilly temperatures
presented a big challenge all day long.
“It can be really difficult,” Pendleton’s Jared
Geier said of the weather. “If it gets real windy
up here the ball is moving all over the place,
especially on the greens, and it’s hard to keep
it in play.” Geier added that the conditions
challenged the golfers the most on the putting
greens, describing them as “unbelievably fast,”
for the round.
Even in the conditions, and while being
bundled up in layers of sweatshirts and jackets
to keep warm, some kids were still able to put
together some solid rounds, including Geier.
The Pendleton senior was the top golfer for the
Buckaroo boys on the day, finishing plus-7 for
the round with a 79 which was good enough
to bring home a medal with a fifth place finish.
His 79 put him into a tie with Hanford’s Jackson
Creer, but Creer took fourth on a scorecard
tiebreaker.
“It wasn’t too bad,” Geier said of his round.
“I definitely felt like I could’ve improved, but
it’s in the 70s so it’s still good. I’ll take that.”
See INVITE/2B
RICHLAND — On Saturday, the Pend-
leton track and field team started its day
early, leaving the high school at 7:30 a.m.
sharp to make the trip up to Hanford High,
where the Buckaroos competed in the Clay
Lewis Invite.
Joining Pendleton in Washington were
the likes of Chiawana, Kamiakin, Kenne-
wick, Pasco, and host school Hanford
among others, and both the Buckaroo boys
(36.5 points) and girls (28) teams finished
in eighth place.
On the girls side, Jaiden Lemberger and
Emanuela Casadei had big performances
with some of Pendleton’s best finishes of
the meet. Lemberger turned in a fourth
place finish in the 100-meter hurdles
with a new personal best time of 16.68.
Lemberger also fared well in her field
events, finishing in a three-way tie for
fourth place in the high jump after clearing
4-08, and then finished second in the long
jump with a new personal best of 15-03.75.
Casadei dominated her competition in
the javelin throw, winning first place with
a new personal record of 141-04 — a good
30 feet ahead of second place. Lemberger
joined Casadei in the event and finished
Staff photo by Kathy Aney
Pendleton senior Trevor Reyes watches
his putt on the 16th green Monday at
the Wildhorse Invitational in Mission.
Jaiden Lemberger, of Pendleton,
competes in the 100-meter hurdles
Saturday at the Clay Lewis Invite.
Lemberger’s time of 16.68 earned her
fourth place.
Sports shorts
Canucks’ Sedin twins to retire
after this season, their 17th
VANCOUVER, British Columbia (AP)
— Vancouver Canucks forwards Henrik and
Daniel Sedin announced they will retire at
the end of the season.
The 37-year-old twins disclosed
their plans Monday in a letter on the
team’s website before addressing media
later.
The Sedins are in their 17th season in
the NHL, all with Vancouver. They led the
Canucks to within one game of winning the
2011 Stanley Cup.
“There’s been a lot of talk,” Henrik Sedin
said at Rogers Arena. “We felt the longer the
season went, it became clearer to us this was
going to be our last year.”
“It’s a happy day for all of us,” Daniel
Sedin added. “We’re really comfortable
where we’re at.”
THIS DATE IN SPORTS
AP photo
Vancouver
Canucks’ Henrik
Sedin, left,
and his
twin
brother,
Daniel
Sedin,
of Sweden
1994 — The St. Louis
Cardinals beat the Cincinnati
Reds 6-4 in the first Sunday
night opener, sending base-
ball into a new era with three
divisions and a new playoff
format.
2002 — Utah sets an NBA
record by clinching its 17th
straight winning season after
defeating the Los Angeles
Clippers 99-87.
2017 — Justin Jackson
delivers the go-ahead three-
point play and North Carolina
scores the last eight points for
a 71-65 win over Gonzaga
and an NCAA title that
eluded the Tar Heels last year.
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