John Henson was a midrange jumper away from downing the No. 1 team in the nation, and he never even had the chance to make it.
It was Kentucky-North Carolina — the nation’s top-ranked team against the fifth-ranked team — and it lived up to nearly every expectation. Except one.
With a few seconds remaining, Kentucky forward Anthony Davis elevated with 6-foot-11 Henson and blocked his would-be game-winning fadeaway in the 73-72 UNC loss.
Davis is 6 feet 10 inches tall, but no one expected the block. Not even Henson.
“I thought I was open,” Henson said. “It was kind of like a little taste of my own medicine, which is kind of funny, but I’ve done that before. Credit to him, because that was a great, great play.”
It was a tough way to lose, especially after playing a competitive game. From the opening tip, it seemed the only ending worthy of the game would be a last-shot opportunity for the win.
At times the two teams played so hard that they were spent.
It was as if each possession were swinging right hooks from two boxers in the 15th round, each blow capable of knocking either boxer off balance. That helps explain the 11 combined points scored by two of the nation’s best offenses in a 6:20 stretch in the middle of the second half.
“(It was) such a crazy game,” UNC coach Roy Williams said. “I mean, it’s a one-point game. We had a chance to win. They missed some plays just as well as we did.”