CNN
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The University of Connecticut received its fifth men’s basketball national title with a 76-59 victory over San Diego State College on Monday evening at NRG Stadium in Houston.
Senior guard Tristen Newton led UConn (31-8) with 19 factors and 10 rebounds whereas Remaining 4 Most Excellent Participant Adama Sanogo, a junior ahead, chipped in with 17 factors and 10 rebounds.
“We weren’t ranked going into the 12 months so we had the chip on our shoulder,” UConn head coach Dan Hurley informed recreation broadcaster CBS. “We knew the extent that we might play at, even via these darkish occasions,” he added, referencing the staff’s six losses in eight games throughout the common season.
He mentioned going into the match his group had confidence garnered throughout the season.
“And when you will have the kind of leaders like Andre Jackson (game-high six assists Monday) and Adama Sanogo, they stored this staff collectively, obtained us again on observe and we knew we have been the perfect staff within the match stepping into and we simply needed to play to our degree,” he added.
San Diego State (32-7) was topped by Keshad Johnson who had 14 factors.
UConn trailed very early however San Diego State was undone by an 11-minute, eight-second stretch during which they scored simply 5 free throws and missed 12 consecutive photographs from the sector. The Huskies went from down 10-6 to up 36-24 at halftime.
The Aztecs made a run halfway via the second half and narrowed the deficit to 5 at 60-55 with 5:19 to play however the Huskies scored the following 9 to take a cushty lead into the ultimate two minutes.
“We battled. Battled again to 5 within the second half, however gave them an excessive amount of separation,” San Diego State coach Brian Dutcher mentioned. “We needed to be at our greatest. We weren’t at our greatest. Quite a bit needed to do with UConn.”
Senior guard Adam Seiko informed reporters they gave themselves an opportunity with their second half comeback however UConn “simply made a bit bit extra performs” on the finish.
“They’ve plenty of weapons. They have been fairly good,” mentioned Matt Bradley, additionally a senior guard. “To beat them, we needed to make photographs. I shot poorly. And also you needed to have a extremely good recreation to beat these dudes on the offensive finish.”
UConn received every of its six match video games by at the least 10 factors, with its closest recreation being a 13-point win over the College of Miami within the nationwide semifinals.
“I simply need to thank my teammates, my coaches who believed in me. If it weren’t for them I might not be right here proper now,” Sanogo informed CBS.
Jordan Hawkins, who scored 16 factors for UConn, talked about successful the crown sooner or later after his cousin, Angel Reese of Louisiana State College, won the women’s title.
“I imply it’s completely wonderful that we each get this chance and I imply the household reunion goes to be nice in order that’s all I do know,” he mentioned.
UConn enters rarefied air as solely the sixth staff to win 5 NCAA males’s basketball championships, becoming a member of UCLA (11), Kentucky (eight), North Carolina (six), Duke (5) and Indiana (5). All of UConn’s titles have come since 1999 with the newest earlier than Monday occurring in 2014.
UConn’s ladies’s groups have received 11 basketball nationwide titles.
