On March 27, 1978 Blue Devils Wins
1978: Kentucky senior Jack Givens, who grew up 10 minutes from campus, averaged 17 points going into the NCAA final. Tonight, the 6-foot-4 forward busts out in a big way.
The sweet shooting Givens, nicknamed Goose because he resembles former Globetrotters star Goose Tatum, bedevils Duke’s zone defense. He scores 41 points, third highest in an NCAA final, as the Wildcats win 94-88 for their first NCAA championship in 20 years. Hitting mostly on short jump shots and assorted moves by the basket, the left-handed shooter connects on 18-for-27 field-goal attempts.
“Duke was attacking our guards and left a big gap inside, so we got the ball to who was hot, and that was Givens,” says coach Joe B. Hall after winning his first title.
Givens scores 23 points in the first half, including Kentucky’s final 16 when it goes from a one-point lead to a 45-38 halftime advantage against the young Blue Devils in St. Louis. Givens continues his hot shooting in the second half and wins the Final Four’s Most Outstanding Player award.
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