Searcy, Ark., (LP) — March Madness wrapped up this years game with the final championship of Villanova against Michigan State. Villanova beat Michigan in the championship with an overall score of 72-69. March Madness is the NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball Tournament. It’s a single elimination tournament played every spring here in the United States. It currently features 68 college basketball teams from the Division I, levels of the National Collegiate Athletic Association(NCAA) to determine the national championship. The tournament was created in 1939, and it was played mostly in March. It has become one the most famous annual sporting events in the United States.
March Marchness is not just an game, especially not here in Searcy, it’s a competition. The people that are interested in March Madness side with certain teams they like or are fond with.
There’s also brackets people fill out, which is basically like a form which can be filled out or completed by hand and it predicts the winner of each game in the tournament. People here in Searcy are pretty serious about brackets, they even made bets to see who wins. Tyreese Knowlton, a senior stated, “I made a bet with my friend and obviously lost.” This year’s tournament was a little unexpected because the Loyola Ramblers made it to the Final Four of the tournament, which is a huge deal for them. They were being called, “Cinderella because it was so unexpected for them to reach the Final Four”, said Elijah Nevels. The team unfortunately lost Michigan with a final score of 69-57, which was a total heartbreak for the Ramblers but still a victory for making it all the way to the Final Four.
The championship was a battle between the nation’s best teams, Michigan and Villanova who both have high records when it comes to basketball. During the game the Wolverines were in the lead with a 7-4 in the first seven minutes, which made it so believable that they were going to win even with a 6-foot-10 player which was a major advantage. In the middle of the game started getting heated when Villanova took the lead with a 38-27 score.
From then on Villanova has been doing really well and then they won the championship. After the championship, Villanova ended the season as the second-best mens NCAA champion since 2002. Their multiple championships and good players have earned them a spot in history as well as all-time champs.
