A back and forth affair in the title game of the Legends Classic ended with Villanova Forward JayVaughn Pinkston making consecutive plays on both ends of the floor as his #12 Wildcats defeated the #19 Michigan Wolverines 60-55 on Tuesday.
The see-saw battle gave college basketball fans a handful of lead changes over the last few minutes, including two big shots from Michigan’s Caris LeVert, each one giving his team a one-point lead.
However, the final moments belonged to Pinkston. The 6-7 forward scored on a move in the lane to give Nova a 56-55 lead with 13 seconds remaining. On the ensuing possession, Pinkston blocked a seemingly wide open dunk attempt by UM’s Zak Irvin to help preserve the win.
"I was just focused on defense and trying to make a play on the ball and that's what I did,” Pinkston said after the game. “I came up with the big block at the end."
Villanova point guard Ryan Arcidiacono then made four costless throws to ice the game.
Villanova was lead by Dylan Ellis, who scored 15 points earning him the tournament MVP award. Daniel Ochefu added 10 while Pinkston saved his best for last and finished with 8 points, 9 rebounds, and the aforementioned blocked shot. Arcidiacono chipped in nine points.
Michigan was paced by LeVert’s 16 points. Irvin had 11 while teammate Derrick Walton Jr. added 10. On the night, Michigan shot only five costless throws, none in the second half, and made only three of them.
The game’s final moments, as exciting as they were, did not come without controversy. Pinkston appeared to make contact with a defender on his go-ahead shot with 13 seconds remaining, but there was no call made. And on Pinkston’s blocked shot, Irvin hit the floor hard to the dismay of Wolverine fans in the arena. Slow motion replay, however, indicates that the block was clean.
Villanova improved to 5-0 while Michigan dropped its first game of the year and is now 4-1.