Defending champ UConn returns to NCAA title game, beating Alabama – Orange County Register

By JOHN MARSHALL AP Basketball Writer

GLENDALE, Ariz. – The final result showed UConn winning its 11th straight NCAA Tournament game by at least 13 points.

The reality: The Huskies were tested like never before during their run to a possible second straight national title.

UConn kept its composure and bid to repeat as national champions intact, getting 21 points from freshman Stephon Castle while tightening up its defensive defense in the second half of an 86-72 win over Alabama in the Final Four on Saturday night.

“Our identity has to be pretty relentless,” UConn coach Dan Hurley said. “We might not break you for 18 minutes, 25 minutes, but at some point if what we’re doing on both ends and on the backboard is at a high level, it becomes difficult for the other team to do it. maintain.”

The top-seeded Huskies (36-3) put on a March Madness spectacle before arriving in the desert, one that included a 30-0 run in a decimation of Illinois in the Elite Eight.

It was more of a slow burn.

Alabama (25-12) made the most of its first Final Four, scoring a flurry of 3-pointers to face a team that has trailed for a total of 28 seconds in its first four NCAA Tournament games.

Crafty point guard Mark Sears did his best to keep Alabama going, scoring 24 points. Grant Nelson had another big game in March Madness, finishing with 19 points, 15 rebounds and a scoring dunk against UConn big man Donovan Clingan.

UConn, as usual under Hurley, wore the Tide into submission.

Clingan began to assert himself at the post offensively, finishing with 18 points and four blocked shots. Castle and Alex Karaban (14 points) hit big shots as the Huskies increased their lead.

And one of the nation’s best defenses faltered at just the right moment, holding the Tide without a field goal for a five-minute stretch that helped UConn become the first repeat champion since Florida in 2006-07.

“They’re almost bulletproof,” Alabama coach Nate Oats said.

Next up for the Huskies is what should be a heavyweight fight in Monday’s national championship game against Purdue. It won’t be for the meek, with the 7-foot-2, 280-pound Clingan facing off against the rare person on Earth who is taller than him in 7-foot-4, 300-pound Zach Edey.

“A battle of giants. I think it’s just great for college basketball. Us and Purdue have clearly been the two best teams in the country over the last two years,” Hurley said. “I think it’s just great for college basketball to see the two big dogs playing on Monday.”

The Huskies spent the first two weeks of the tournament terrorizing their opponents with an average margin of victory of 27.8 points.

Alabama put a stick in the spokes of the juggernaut by moving Clingan away from the basket and burying the 3 points.

Clingan had two early blocks and appeared to be close to replicating his performance in the Elite Eight, when Illinois went 0 for 19 on shots he contested.

Once the Crimson Tide began forcing Clingan into high pick-and-rolls, the lanes to the basket began to open up — as did the 3-point line.

Alabama has thrived from 3 all season, beating Clemson in the Elite Eight by making 16 shots from deep. The Tide continued against UConn, making 8 of 11 in the first half as Sears got to the rim on several occasions, putting the Huskies seemingly where they wanted them.

No.

The Huskies kept their composure amid Alabama’s 3-point barrage, ran their offense calmly and led 44-40 at halftime.

“We just had to stay together, tighten up our defense,” Karaban said.

UConn continued to roll in the second half and Nelson kept the Tide within reach. His thunderous dunk over Clingan had Oats screaming and crouching like he was doing the Haka.

Oats’ friend Hurley had the last word – or cry.