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GLENDALE, Ariz. — UConn saved its bid to repeat as nationwide champion intact by surviving its first true take a look at of the NCAA Event, getting 21 factors from freshman Stephon Fort whereas clamping down defensively within the second half of an 86-72 win over Alabama within the Remaining 4 on Saturday evening.
The highest-seeded Huskies (36-3) had 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 sluggish burn, with UConn withstanding an early wave of 3-pointers earlier than holding the Crimson Tide (25-12) with out a subject objective throughout a five-minute second-half stretch.
Subsequent up for the Huskies might be what ought to be a way more bodily take a look at in opposition to 7-foot-4, 300-pound Zach Edey and Purdue in Monday’s nationwide championship sport. UConn has its personal achieved large man in 7-2 Donovan Clingan, who completed with 18 factors and 4 blocked pictures.
“A battle of the giants. I believe it’s simply nice for faculty basketball. Us and Purdue have clearly been the 2 greatest groups within the nation the final two years,” UConn coach Dan Hurley mentioned. “I believe it’s simply nice for faculty basketball to get the 2 large canine taking part in on Monday.”
Survive that matchup, and UConn would be the first repeat nationwide champion since Florida in 2006-07.
“It feels good, however the job’s not accomplished but,” Clingan mentioned
The Huskies’ Remaining 4 win actually wasn’t as straightforward as the ultimate rating indicated.
Alabama held its personal in this system’s first Remaining 4 look, going toe to toe with a workforce that trailed 28 complete seconds in its first 4 NCAA Event video games.
Artful level guard Mark Sears did his greatest to maintain Alabama in it, scoring 24 factors. Grant Nelson had one other large sport in March Insanity, ending with 19 factors, 15 rebounds and one highlight-reel dunk over Clingan.
Even that wasn’t sufficient in opposition to a UConn workforce that’s among the many best at each ends of the ground.
The Huskies spent the event’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 seemed able to duplicate his Elite Eight efficiency, when Illinois went 0 for 19 on pictures 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 pictures from deep. The Tide saved 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 wished them.
Nope.
The Huskies saved their composure amid the Alabama 3-point barrage, calmly ran their offense and led 44-40 at halftime.
UConn saved rolling within the second half and Nelson saved the Tide inside attain. His thunderous dunk over Clingan had Tide coach Nate Oats screaming and squatting like he was doing the Haka.
Oats’ buddy Hurley had the final snicker — or scream.
Hurley has constructed UConn in arguably the most effective two-way workforce of a era, 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.
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 Monday evening.
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AP March Insanity bracket: https://apnews.com/hub/ncaa-mens-bracket and protection: https://apnews.com/hub/march-madness
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