UConn claims fifth national championship with 76-59 victory against San Diego State

After pulling off one double-digit comeback in the Final Four, it looked as if San Diego State was on the verge of another Monday against UConn in the national championship. However, the Huskies responded to a late run from the Aztecs with one of their own to pull away for a dominant 76-59 win and claim the fifth national title in school history.

UConn entered halftime up 12 points and held SDSU at arm’s length for the majority of the second half but never quite put them away until later on. The Aztecs found themselves down as many as 15 but battled back to cut the deficit to six with 7:37 remaining on a bucket from Darrion Trammel as part of a 12-3 run. They later got the lead down to 60-55 after a pair of free throws from Keshad Johnson.

That was as close as it would get, however, as UConn responded with nine straight points after that to bring the advantage back to double digits for good. That included a huge 3-pointer from Jordan Hawkins on the possession immediately following Johnson’s free throws.

With the win, UConn is now a perfect 5-0 in its national championship appearances. The Huskies won every game during their run to the title by double digits, becoming the fifth team all-time and the first to do so since Villanova in 2019. Their average margin of victory for the March Madness run was 20 points.

Adama Sanogo led the way in the win with 17 points and 10 rebounds on his way to being named the Most Outstanding Player of the NCAA Tournament. Tristen Newton had a team-high 19 points while Hawkins added 16.

The Huskies defense was stifling as it held the Aztecs to just 19-of-59 (32.2%) shooting and forced 12 turnovers. UConn also won the rebounding battle 40-34.

San Diego State jumped out to an early 10-6 lead in the first half, but it didn’t last for long. The Huskies took the advantage back on a bucket from Sanogo at the 13:58 mark and never relinquished it. That was part of a 16-2 UConn run as the Huskies led for the final 33:58.

Both teams struggled offensively over the final three minutes of the half, as the Huskies went scoreless and the Aztecs made just two shots. UConn went up as many as 16 before taking a 36-24 advantage into halftime.

Johnson ended as the Aztecs’ leading scorer with 14 points.