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2012 NCAA Finals, Kentucky Vs. Kansas Recap: Wildcats Win 8th National Championship

The Kentucky Wildcats are your 2012 National Champions, after a 59-50 win over Kansas in the title game. The Wildcats dominated Kansas in the first half, and led by double digits for 25 minutes before back-to-back three-point plays by Tyshawn Taylor cut the deficit to nine with four minutes to play. The Jayhawks would get it within six but the talent of Kentucky was simply too much to overcome.

Doron Lamb led all scorers with 20 points, hitting three of five attempts from three-point range and consistently coming up with big shots to keep UK in front. Michael Kidd-Gilchrist was the only other UK player in double figures, controlling the action in the first half and finishing with 11 points. He came up with a huge block in the final minute that promptly stopped Kansas' push to make it a one-possession game.

The Wildcats, who shot above 50 percent in the first half, hit only 27 percent of their shots in the second. But National Player of the Year, Anthony Davis, completely changed the game on the defensive end. While he made only one field goal, he grabbed 16 rebounds and blocked six shots.

Kansas' Thomas Robinson with a double-double, scoring 18 points and grabbing 17 rebounds. Tyshawn Taylor led all Jayhawk scorers with 19 points.

While it is John Calipari's first ever title, it's the eighth men's basketball championship in Kentucky's history but their first in 14 years.

For up-to-the-minute scores on all NCAA Tournament games, please check out SI.com's complete scoreboard.

For more on the 2012 NCAA Tournament bracket, stay with SB Nation's Selection Sunday StoryStream, and stick around SB Nation's NCAA Tournament hub for a complete printable NCAA Tournament bracket. For more on this game, check out our 2012 Final Four StoryStream

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