1963 NCAA University Division basketball championship game

Cincinnati Bearcats The 1962–63 Bearcats were coached by Ed Jucker, who was in his third season on the job. In the previous two seasons, Cincinnati won the national championship, defeating Ohio State in the 1961 and 1962 national championship games. The Bearcats were attempting to become the first program ever to win the NCAA Tournament for a third consecutive year. They began the season as the number-one ranked team in the AP Poll. Their first game was a 97–39 win over DePauw on December 1, after which they defeated Virginia by 49 points. Cincinnati won its next three games by double-figure margins, before traveling to Kansas, where the team posted a 64–49 victory at Allen Fieldhouse. The Bearcats played conservatively on offense and were the NCAA's leading defensive team statistically, allowing an average of 51.9 points a game to opponents. Loyola-Chicago Ramblers The Ramblers, coached by George Ireland, In their first game, against Christian Brothers on December 1, Loyola posted a 114–58 victory. After three more wins by margins of more than 45 points, the Ramblers scored 123 points against Western Michigan, their highest total of the season. A 12-point victory at Indiana followed, after which Loyola defeated 10th-ranked Seattle 93–83. The Ramblers remained undefeated entering 1963, and started the year as the number two team in the country. Their first game in 1963 was a 45-point win over Marshall; earning a lay-up against Mississippi State in the Game of Change earlier in the tournament Loyola's berth in the NCAA tournament was the first in program history. According to ''USA Today's'' Mike Lopresti, the Bulldogs "had to rush out of Starkville just to get to the tournament" game in Michigan, which came against a Loyola team with four black starters. The action came despite an injunction in the state, and the resulting contest became known as the Game of Change. The Ramblers advanced with a 61–51 win over Mississippi State. In the regional final against Illinois, the Ramblers gained a spot in the Final Four with a 15-point victory. There, they faced Duke, the second-ranked team in the country. Ireland, noting Duke's lack of experience against teams with African-American players, claimed before the game that "Any good team with a predominantly Negro lineup could beat them. Behind 29 points by Hunter and 20 from Harkness, Loyola earned a place in the NCAA final by defeating Duke 94–75. ==Game summary==

The game took place on March 23 at Freedom Hall in Louisville, Kentucky, before an announced crowd of 19,153 spectators, a sellout. Prior to the championship game, a third-place game was held between Final Four losers Duke and Oregon State. The Blue Devils prevailed by an 85–63 score. Cincinnati had six players compete in the game: Bonham, Heidotting, Shingleton, Thacker, Wilson, and Yates. Loyola featured five players for the entire game: Egan, Harkness, Hunter, Miller, and Rouse. this marked the first time that over half the players in the NCAA championship contest were black. Hunter later cited this decision as a turning point, saying that it took the Bearcats out of their offensive rhythm. Harkness fouled Shingleton with 12 seconds on the clock, sending him to the free throw line for two attempts. Making both would put the Bearcats on the verge of winning the NCAA championship, as there were no three-point field goals at the time. After making one free throw, Shingleton was off on his second try, and Hunter secured the rebound for Loyola. Miller received the ball and juggled it briefly; Ireland and Fimrite believed that he had been guilty of traveling, but it was not called a violation on the court. Miller passed the ball to Harkness, who attempted a 12-foot jumper. His shot was good, tying the game at 54–54. Jucker attempted to call a timeout, but the referees did not hear his request due to crowd noise and the clock expired with the game still tied. A five-minute overtime period was required to break the deadlock. Three previous NCAA finals had needed one, including the Bearcats' 1961 title game. The extra period was described as "a cautious game of cat-and-mouse" by Mal Florence of the Los Angeles Times. The opening tip of overtime was won by Rouse and controlled by Hunter. Harkness received a pass from Hunter and scored on a layup, giving the Ramblers the lead. Wilson responded with a basket for the Bearcats, before a long-distance shot by Miller restored a two-point lead for the Ramblers. Loyola later had an opportunity to extend their advantage, but missed a field goal attempt; after coming down with the rebound, Thacker made a long pass to Shingleton, and a resulting layup evened the score at 58–58. The game remained tied with under two minutes on the clock, as the Ramblers called a timeout with possession of the ball and subsequently went into a slow-paced offense themselves. Play was stopped with 1:21 remaining, as a jump ball was required to determine possession; Egan and Shingleton jumped against each other. Egan earned possession for Loyola, and the Ramblers held the ball to attempt the last shot of the overtime period. Harkness drove to the basket with about seven seconds on the clock, but elected to pass to Hunter, who attempted a shot. Hunter's effort bounced off the rim, but Rouse rebounded the ball and scored. One second was left on the clock. It expired before Cincinnati could inbound the ball, as the Ramblers won their first national championship in men's basketball, 60–58. ==Statistical summary==

The Ramblers won despite shooting around 27% from the field (23 of 84). Thacker added 13 points and a game-high 15 rebounds, while Wilson had 10 points and 13 rebounds. Among the Bearcats' starters, only Wilson was substituted. ==Legacy==

In 2013, author Tom Hager listed the 1963 NCAA championship game as the best ever played in the event. The game has received attention as the first national title contest to feature a majority of black starters; according to Ireland, an "unspoken" rule existed at the time that led to most teams starting only one or two African-Americans at most. Regardless, Loyola's Miller later said that he believed the game was significant, as it encouraged college coaches to increase their recruiting efforts to black players. It was part of a six-year contract to televise the NCAA championship game annually. The Bearcats had a 17–9 record in the 1963–64 season, but did not play in the 1964 NCAA tournament. Cincinnati has participated in numerous NCAA Tournaments since 1963, but as of 2020 the program has not reached another national championship game. The team has advanced as far as the national semifinals only once, in 1992. Loyola began the 1963–64 season ranked first in the AP Poll and ended up winning 22 games. The Ramblers were again invited to the NCAA tournament, but their title defense ended in the regional semifinals. They appeared in two more NCAA tournaments in the 1960s, but never advanced past the first round. The Ramblers made it to the Sweet Sixteen in 1985. After a 33-year drought, Loyola reached the tournament in 2018, advancing to the Final Four for the first time since 1963. The 1962–63 Ramblers are the only NCAA Division I men's basketball champions from the state of Illinois. ==References==