The Kansas Jayhawks beat the Memphis Tigers 75-68 to win the NCAA men’s basketball championship. Here’s what our writers thought of the game:

Well, John Calipari, you spent the last few weeks defending your team’s struggles at the free-throw line. For a few rounds, and for a few minutes last night, we thought you may be right. Now, I know that Memphis didn’t lose because of poor free-throw shooting. But Kansas sure as hell shouldn’t have had a chance to tie the game in the closing seconds. Hopefully, Kansas’s and Bill Self’s moment in the sun won’t last long. Most importantly from this game, it was refreshing to finally see an exciting national championship — the first since 2005, and the first overtime championship since 1997. And for a tournament that, if not for Stephen Curry, would have been the most boring tournament ever, it was fitting to see it end with drama and a memorable moment from Mario Chalmers.

– Kevin Fishbain

All season Memphis struggled at the foul line. Experts wondered if they would be able to win a close, late game, and called them vulnerable because of their free-throw woes. So it was appropriate that with a minute left in the game, and Memphis trying to put the national title game away, it came down to their two biggest stars — Chris Douglas-Roberts and Derrick Rose — on the line, attempting foul shots. They missed three in the final minute, and when the game went to overtime, Memphis was already mentally defeated. Congratulations to Kansas on a great season and their first title since the Larry Brown era.

– Neal Suidan

When I predicted the outcome of this game, I was totally wrong. Kansas was impressive and took charge in overtime, deflating Memphis and never letting up. However, I believe that Memphis beat themselves.

Memphis never recovered from Mario Chalmers’s miracle shot at the end of regulation. The team’s intensity dropped and no one took shots besides Chris Douglas-Roberts, who took questionable ones with sub-par accuracy. Joey Dorsey, Memphis’s leading rebounder and a force down low, fouled out (mostly because he didn’t set his feet or just played stupid defense) with several minutes left in the second half and was consequently unavailable for overtime. Derrick Rose had a free throw to win at the end of the game and bricked it, and Douglas-Roberts, the leader and sharpshooter for Memphis, missed three of four free throws at the end of the game. We’ve all heard about Memphis’s shooting troubles from the line this season, but there are no excuses in the national championship. If you don’t put a team away when they challenge you by putting you on the line, you don’t deserve to win.

Still, give Kansas credit. They didn’t lose focus or intensity, despite being down nine points late in the game. Such resolve, especially from Mario Chalmers, is the sign of a mentally solid team — and deserving champions.

– Matt Ford