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Baylor Wins First NCAA Men’s Basketball Championship

Apr 5, 2021, 9:09 PM | Updated: 9:09 pm

INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA - APRIL 05: Head coach Scott Drew and the Baylor Bears celebrate their win ag...

(Photo by Jamie Schwaberow/NCAA Photos via Getty Images)

(Photo by Jamie Schwaberow/NCAA Photos via Getty Images)

When Jalen Suggs banked in the game winning three in overtime Saturday to beat UCLA in the Final Four it sure felt like Gonzaga was a team of destiny.

Gonzaga was trying to complete the first perfect season since 1976. The problem for the Bulldogs was the next field goal they scored since Suggs banker was a Corey Kispert three pointer 4 minutes and 31 seconds into the National Title game.

At that point that cut Baylor’s lead to 11-4. The Bears got off to a fast start and never looked back to claim their first national championship by the final of 86-70.

The Bears were great. They dominated early and never trailed in the wire to wire win.

Gonzaga didn’t have the answers tonight for Baylor’s aggressive offensive attack. Jared Butler, Adam Flagler, MaCio Teague and Davion Mitchell were all fantastic as they all finished with double digit scoring nights. Baylor’s offense was so connected that Mark Few and Gonzaga had to go to zone at times to try and slow them down.

Gonzaga rarely plays zone and when they did go back to man to man, Baylor just kept getting the matchups they wanted and exploited Gonzaga.

This was a game that we all wanted to see in the regular season but got in the National Title game instead. Both teams were really good this year and last year too.

Remember that Baylor was on a roll last season and was ready for a deep tournament run but Covid canceled March Madness in 2020. Fast forward to 2021 when the roster all returned and they carved up the competition at the right time of year as they peaked in this year’s tournament.

The run by Gonzaga shouldn’t be lost in this defeat. They have one of the elite programs in college basketball and this year should prove to everyone how hard it is to win a National Championship. Coach K and Coach Cal weren’t even in this field as Duke and Kentucky were left to watch the field of 68.

As the top seeds started to drop along the way we were left with the two favorites. It didn’t work out for Gonzaga this time but it did for Baylor. The first championship is always the sweetest and now Scott Drew has a program that will have a target on it’s back.

They did it, they deserved it, and now they will try and defend it

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