By Ryan Schneider

Arizona Daily Wildcat

CHARLOTTE, N.C. Ñ An entire college basketball season came down to one game and ultimately one frantic minute.

But the five-month wait to determine the national champion was well worth it for Arkansas, as all-tournament forward Scotty ThurmanÕs 23-foot three-pointer from the right side gave the Razorbacks a 76-72 win and their first national

The first seed for a potential dynasty for Arkansas (31-3) was planted, while the opportunity to expand on an existing one slipped through the hands of Duke (28-6).

ÒThis is the greatest game in the history of Arkansas basketball,Ó Coach Nolan Richardson said. ÒThere is no greater honor a team can achieve then a national

But it almost didnÕt work for the Razorbacks, because Duke senior Grant Hill (12 points) showed why he is a three-time All-America selection by nailing a three-pointer from the top left side of the key to put Duke ahead by three points with 1:28 left to play.

ThurmanÕs shot clock-beating bombshell over Antonio Lang washed away the Blue Devils hopes, however.

ÒI was right on him,Ó said Lang, who scored a team-high 15 points, but fouled out with 17.2 seconds remaining in the game, his last as a Blue Devil. ÒI donÕt know how he made

Thurman did not really know either.

ÒI saw the shot clock running down, and when I got it from (Dwight Stewart) with three seconds, I had no choice but to put it up,Ó said Thurman, who finished with 15 points.

While Thurman made his shots from the perimeter, Arkansas forward Corliss Williamson proved to be too much in the post just as he did against Arizona in the semifinals.

The sophomore lived up to his billing as the next Charles Barkley with a 23-point, eight-rebound showing, earning him the NCAA TournamentÕs most outstanding player award.

Things werenÕt easy inside for Williamson, though. He was double- and triple-teamed, causing him to make only 10 of 24 shots overall.

ÒIt was tough to stay inside when the shots werenÕt falling,Ó Williamson said. ÒThe coaches helped me to stay focused and concentrate on what I needed to do inside.Ó

After a shaky first half that saw Hill come close to a game-ending hip injury and center Cherokee Parks commit his second foul just halfway through, guard Jeff Capel led Duke on a 13-0 run in the second half to give his team a 10-point lead at the 17:01 mark.

The Razorbacks responded with an even more impressive 16-4 run of their own, taking advantage of several Duke turnovers and a four-minute Blue Devil scoring drought. Read Next Article