Louisville wins the 2013 NCAA Basketball National Championship.

The Cardinals used a strong second half to beat Michigan at the Georgia Dome 82-76 Monday.

The Cardinals, at one point down by 12, outscored Michigan 45-38 in the final 20 minutes, despite being without a key substitute off the bench.

Louisville started the 2013 NCAA Tournament as the No. 1 overall seed and made its way through the Midwest Region with the help of Rockdale's Kevin Ware. However during the Midwest Regional Championship, Ware broke his right leg in one of the most horrific sports injuries ever.

Ware came to Atlanta with Louisville, which defeated Wichita State in a national semifinal game Saturday before meeting Michigan for the championship.

Ware was courtside for the Cardinals, and helped them accept the trophy with the aid of crutches in the post-game celebration. 

Interviewed  by Jim Nance following the game, Ware said "Its not about me, I've never  been that type of guy. The guys came out here and played a great game. These are my brothers. They came out here and got the job done. I'm so proud of them.

"You would think we all came out of the same wombs; we're brothers."

In the tradition of the NCAA Tournament, the winning teams' players got to cut the nets down from the Georgia Dome baskets, including Ware. The basket was lowered for the injured former Rockdale standout to take scissors to twine.