GLENDALE, Ariz. — The ultimate end result confirmed UConn profitable its eleventh straight NCAA Match recreation by not less than 13 factors.
The fact: The Huskies had been examined in contrast to some other time throughout their run towards a doable second straight nationwide title.
UConn stored its composure and its bid to repeat as nationwide champion intact, getting 21 factors from freshman Stephon Citadel whereas clamping down defensively within the second half of an 86-72 win over Alabama within the Closing 4 on Saturday evening.
“Our identification is to be fairly relentless,” UConn coach Dan Hurley mentioned. “We would not break you for 18 minutes, 25 minutes, however in some unspecified time in the future if what we’re doing at each ends and on the backboard is at a excessive degree, it simply turns into laborious for the opposite group to maintain it.”
The highest-seeded Huskies (36-3) placed on a March Insanity present earlier than arriving within the desert, a stretch that included a 30-0 run in a decimation of Illinois within the Elite Eight.
This was extra of a gradual burn.
Alabama (25-12) made essentially the most of its first Closing 4, hitting a flurry of 3-pointers to go toe to toe with a group that trailed for 28 whole seconds throughout its first 4 NCAA Match video games.
Artful level guard Mark Sears did his finest to maintain Alabama in it, scoring 24 factors. Grant Nelson had one other massive recreation in March Insanity, ending with 19 factors, 15 rebounds and one highlight-reel dunk over UConn massive man Donovan Clingan.
UConn, because it normally does below Hurley, wore the Tide into submission.
Clingan began asserting himself within the publish offensively, ending with 18 factors and 4 blocked photographs. Citadel and Alex Karaban (14 factors) hit massive photographs because the Huskies stretched the lead.
And one of many nation’s finest defenses flexed at good time, holding the Tide with no discipline aim for a game-turning five-minute stretch that put UConn on the cusp of changing into the primary repeat champion since Florida in 2006-07.
“They’re near being bulletproof,” Alabama coach Nate Oats mentioned.
Subsequent up for the Huskies is what must be a heavyweight bout in Monday’s nationwide championship recreation in opposition to Purdue. It won’t be for the meek, with the 7-foot-2, 280-pound Clingan dealing with the uncommon particular person on Earth who’s larger than him in 7-foot-4, 300-pound Zach Edey.
“A battle of the giants. I feel it’s simply nice for school basketball. Us and Purdue have clearly been the 2 finest groups within the nation the final two years,” Hurley mentioned. “I feel it’s simply nice for school basketball to get the 2 massive canines enjoying on Monday.”
The Huskies spent the match’s first two weeks terrorizing opponents to the tune of a 27.8-point common margin of victory.
Alabama caught a stick within the spokes of the juggernaut by pulling Clingan away from the basket and burying 3-pointers.
Clingan had two early blocks and gave the impression to be on his to duplicating his Elite Eight efficiency, when Illinois went 0 for 19 on photographs he contested.
As soon as the Crimson Tide began forcing Clingan into excessive pick-and-rolls, lanes to the basket beginning opening up — as did the 3-point line.
Alabama thrived from 3 all season, taking down Clemson within the Elite Eight by making 16 photographs from deep. The Tide stored it rolling in opposition to UConn, making 8 of 11 within the first half whereas Sears repeatedly received to the rim, placing the Huskies seemingly proper the place they needed them.
Nope.
The Huskies stored their composure amid the Alabama 3-point barrage, calmly ran their offense and led 44-40 at halftime.
“We simply needed to keep collectively, tighten up on the defensive finish,” Karaban mentioned.
UConn stored rolling within the second half and Nelson stored the Tide inside attain. His thunderous dunk over Clingan had Oats screaming and squatting like he was doing the Haka.
Oats’ pal Hurley had the final chortle — or scream.
Hurley has constructed UConn in arguably the most effective two-way group of a technology, and the Huskies confirmed off either side of their closing flourish.
UConn shut down Alabama’s open appears to be like from the 3-point arc and began getting the ball into Clingan, who overpowered the Tide when he received close to the rim.
“They’re a extremely nice group,” Sears mentioned. “We turned the ball over and so they made us pay for it.”
The Huskies step by step stretched the lead, pushed the Tide again each time they made a run and put themselves in place to make historical past.
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AP March Insanity bracket: and protection: