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1971 NCAA Tournament Championship Game
National championship game
68	62
AP: 1; Coaches: 1;	AP: 19; Coaches: 17;
Date	March 27, 1971
Venue	Astrodome, Houston, Texas
MVP	Howard Porter, Villanova (vacated)
Favorite	UCLA
Attendance	31,765
United States TV coverage
Network	NBC
Announcers	Curt Gowdy and Tom Hawkins
	← 1970 1972 →

The 1971 NCAA University Division Basketball Championship Game was the finals of the 1971 NCAA University Division basketball tournament and it determined the national champion for the 1970-71 NCAA University Division men's basketball season. The game was played on March 27, 1971, at the Astrodome in Houston, Texas and featured the four-time defending national champion UCLA Bruins of the Pacific-8 Conference, and the independent Villanova Wildcats.

The Bruins narrowly defeated the Wildcats to win their fifth consecutive national championship. However, the Wildcats would later vacate their appearance in the title game due to issues with the eligibility of Howard Porter.

Participating teams

UCLA Bruins

West
- UCLA 91, BYU 73
- UCLA 73, Long Beach State 55
Final Four
- UCLA 68, Kansas 60

Villanova Wildcats

East
- Villanova 93, Saint Joseph's 75
- Villanova 85, Fordham 75
- Villanova 90, Penn 47
Final Four
- Villanova 92, Western Kentucky 89 (2OT)

Game summary

Source:^[6]

NBC

March 27, 1971

#1 UCLA Bruins 68, #19 ~~Villanova Wildcats~~ 62
Scoring by half: 45-37, 23-25
Pts: Steve Patterson 29 Rebs: Sidney Wicks 9 Asts: Sidney Wicks 7		Pts: Howard Porter 25 Rebs: Howard Porter 8 Asts: Chris Ford 10

Astrodome, Houston, Texas
Attendance: 31,765

Aftermath

The NCAA vacated 23 of Villanova's wins in the 1970–71 season including its appearance in the 1971 NCAA Tournament due to issues with the eligibility of Howard Porter.^[7]

This would be Villanova's last appearance in the title game until 1985, where they would go on a Cinderella run to the national title.

References

^ "Campus Publications and Media". Publications.villanova.edu. Archived from the original on August 29, 2006. Retrieved January 7, 2018.
^ 23 of Villanova’s wins were later vacated after an investigation into the eligibility of Howard Porter.^[1]
^ "Villanova vs. UCLA Box Score (Men), March 27, 1971". Sports-Reference.com. Retrieved February 16, 2024.
^ "Final Four Most Outstanding Players". cbs.sportsline.com. Archived from the original on September 7, 2008. Retrieved February 15, 2024.
^ Smith Barrier, "Unusual West Coast Watch Factory – They Don't Make Any, Just Win Them", 1972 Official Collegiate Basketball Guide, Published by College Athletics Publishing Service
^ "Villanova vs. UCLA Box Score, March 27, 1971 | College Basketball at Sports-Reference.com".
^ Santoliquito, Joseph (March 18, 2014). "The Only NCAA Tourney Holy War Came In 1971". CBS News. Retrieved April 25, 2024.

[1] "Campus Publications and Media". Publications.villanova.edu. Archived from the original on August 29, 2006. Retrieved January 7, 2018.

[2] 23 of Villanova’s wins were later vacated after an investigation into the eligibility of Howard Porter.^[1]

[3] "Villanova vs. UCLA Box Score (Men), March 27, 1971". Sports-Reference.com. Retrieved February 16, 2024.

[4] "Final Four Most Outstanding Players". cbs.sportsline.com. Archived from the original on September 7, 2008. Retrieved February 15, 2024.

[5] Smith Barrier, "Unusual West Coast Watch Factory – They Don't Make Any, Just Win Them", 1972 Official Collegiate Basketball Guide, Published by College Athletics Publishing Service

[6] "Villanova vs. UCLA Box Score, March 27, 1971 | College Basketball at Sports-Reference.com".

[7] Santoliquito, Joseph (March 18, 2014). "The Only NCAA Tourney Holy War Came In 1971". CBS News. Retrieved April 25, 2024.

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