NCAA Final Recap (3/30/98)

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SAN ANTONIO (FinalFour.net)-- The Kentucky Wildcats capped a memorable NCAA championship with a come-from-behind 78-69 win against the Utah Utes in front of 40,509 in San Antonio that will have fans across the nation saying, "Remember the Alamodome."

Kentucky, led by first-year head coach Orlando "Tubby" Smith, simply would not be denied in reaching the title game as the Comeback Cats rallied from a 17-point second-half deficit to defeat Duke, 86-84, in the South regional final and then overcame a 10-point margin to down a game Stanford Cardinal team, 86-85, in overtime, in one national semifinal game.

Utah emerged as the Cinderella story after trouncing the defending national champions from Arizona, 76-51, in the West regional final and then stopping perennial power North Carolina, 65-59, in the national semifinals.

Kentucky and Utah squared off for the third consecutive year in the NCAA tournament. Kentucky guard Jeff Sheppard, who was named the Final Four's most outstanding player, scored 16 points as the Wildcats roared back from a 12-point second-half deficit to capture the school's seventh national title.

BOX SCORE 
                FG-     FT-
Utah            FGA     FTA     REB     PF      TP
Mttl            4-10    6-6     8       4       15
Jensen          5-6     3-3     2       2       14
Doleac          5-12    4-6     10      2       15
Miller          6-15    4-7     6       5       16
Hansen          1-6     0-0     5       2       2
Johnsen         3-4     0-0     4       0       7
McTavish        0-0     0-0     0       1       0
Jackson         0-1     0-0     0       2       0
Caton           0-1     0-0     0       0       0
Team                            4
Totals          24-55   17-22   39      18      69

                FG-     FT-
Kentucky        FGA     FTA     REB     PF      TP
Edwards         2-7     0-0     1       0       4
Padgett         6-11    4-4     5       4       17
Mohammed        5-9     0-0     2       4       10
Turner          2-5     2-4     2       0       6
Sheppard        7-14    2-2     4       1       16
Magloire        2-3     3-3     2       4       7
Evans           3-4     2-2     6       1       10
Mills           2-4     2-2     0       0       8
Smith           0-0     0-0     0       0       0
Bradley         0-0     0-0     1       1       0
Team                            1
Totals          29-57   15-17   24      15      78

Site: San Antonio, Texas.
Semifinals: Kentucky 86, Stanford 85 (OT); Utah 65, North Carolina 59.
Tournament Attendance: 682,530 for 34 sessions.
Halftime: Utah 41-31.
Three-point field goals: Utah 4-14 (Mttl 1-3, Jensen 1-1, Doleac 1-1,
  Miller 0-3, Hansen 0-2, Johnsen 1-2, Jackson 0-1, Caton 0-1);
  Kentucky 5-17 (Edwards 0-3, Padgett 1-5, Turner 0-1, Sheppard 0-2,
  Evans 2-2, Mills 2-4).
Officials: Burr, Gray and Sanzere.
Championship Coach: Orlando Tubby Smith, Kentucky.
Most Outstanding Player: Jeff Sheppard, Kentucky.