NEW ORLEANS (AP) — The highlight packages will be full of Anthony Davis’ one-hand jam off an alley-oop pass and a couple of his hook shots — including one with his non-shooting hand — but what got Kentucky to its 11th national championship game was defense.
A lot of defense.
The Wildcats didn’t break the 80-point mark as they did in their first four NCAA tournament games — the first team to do that since Kentucky won its last title in 1998 — but they stopped Louisville whenever they had to in their 69-61 victory Saturday night.
Kentucky (37-2) held the Cardinals to 34.8 percent shooting (24 for 69), well below their season mark of 42.5, but even more importantly, it was below the 37.5 percent the Wildcats allowed all season — a mark that led the nation.
