1978 NCAA Division I basketball championship game

See also: 1978 NCAA Division I Basketball Tournament

The 1978 NCAA Division I Basketball Championship Game was the finals of the 1978 NCAA Division I Basketball Tournament and it determined the national champion for the 1977–78 NCAA Division I season. The 1978 National Title Game was played on March 27, 1978, at The Checkerdome in St. Louis. The 1978 National Title Game was played between the 1978 Mideast Regional Champions, Kentucky and the 1978 East Regional Champions, Duke.

1978 NCAA Tournament Championship Game

National championship game
Duke Blue Devils Kentucky Wildcats (27–6) (29–2) 88 94 Head coach: Bill Foster Head coach: Joe B. Hall
AP: 7 Coaches: 9	AP: 1 Coaches: 1
1st half 2nd half Total Duke Blue Devils 38 50 88 Kentucky Wildcats 45 49 94
Date	March 27, 1978
Venue	The Checkerdome, St. Louis, Missouri
MVP	Jack Givens, Kentucky
Favorite	Kentucky
Attendance	18,721
United States TV coverage
Network	NBC
Announcers	Dick Enberg (play-by-play) Billy Packer and Al McGuire (color)
← 1977 1979 →

Participating teams

Duke

Main article: 1977–78 Duke Blue Devils men's basketball team

• East
  • Duke 63, Rhode Island 62
  • Duke 84, Pennsylvania 80
  • Duke 90, Villanova 72
• Final Four
  • Duke 90, Notre Dame 86

Kentucky

Main article: 1977–78 Kentucky Wildcats men's basketball team

• Mideast
  • Kentucky 85, Florida State 76
  • Kentucky 91, Miami (OH) 69
  • Kentucky 52, Michigan State 49
• Final Four
  • Kentucky 64, Arkansas 59

Box score

March 27

Box/Recap

Duke 88, Kentucky 94
Scoring by half: 38–45, 50–49
Pts: Banks 22 Rebs: Gminski 12		Pts: Givens 41 Rebs: Robey 11

Attendance: 18,721

References