On April 4, the Villanova Men’s Basketball team was partying like it was 1985. For the first time in 31 years, the Wildcats were basketball royalty, and the days to follow their unforgettable 77-74 victory over the star-powered North Carolina Tar Heels were filled with nothing but celebration. Classes were canceled, and parties were thrown. The Wildcats were national champions, and no one could take it away from them. However, there was another end of the spectrum. For the players, students, and alumni of North Carolina, the days to follow the night of April 4 were plagued with complete disappointment.

For the entire season, even up until the last moments of the national champions game, the Tar Heels had been the favorite of a large amount of basketball analysts and fans alike. Little did anyone know, the game would end in the most surprising and entertaining fashion out of any other contest preceding it.

With just ten seconds left, the Tar Heels were down by three and a comeback seemed improbable. Then, Marcus Paige, North Carolina’s point guard for the past four years, threw up a desperate, double-clutch, three point shot, which would normally be close to impossible to make, and it stunningly sunk straight through the net, tying the game up at 74 points a piece. Suddenly, the game looked to be headed towards overtime, and just like the rest of the season, North Carolina appeared to be the clear favorite to come out on top. However, Kris Jenkins, one of Villanova’s best shooters throughout the entire season, added one more line to what has arguably become the greatest national championship game in NCAA Tournament history.

With nearly four seconds left in the game, Villanova’s point guard, Ryan Arcidiacono, dribbled the ball down the court, and as the clock dwindled down, he passed the ball into the hands of Jenkins, who proceeded to make what has now been named “the shot heard around the world.” Much like Marcus Paige’s shot just three seconds earlier, Jenkins’ shot sunk straight through the basket, and the Wildcats’ celebration began. In a matter of seconds, Villanova became the 2016 National Champion and the Tar Heels had come up just short.

In a single game, the 2016 NCAA Tournament went from something that could easily be forgotten to an essentially unforgettable event. This was certainly one of the greatest games I have ever witnessed in my lifetime, and because of its stunning ending, this year’s tournament will be remembered for many years to come.