UConn became just the eighth school to win back-to-back men’s basketball national championships on Monday night with its win over Purdue. (Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Images)
It was billed as a big-man battle between Purdue’s Zach Edey against UConn’s Donovan Clingan. That didn’t give the Huskies guards enough credit.
UConn won a second straight title on Monday night through a relentless attack from its backcourt in a 75-60 win over Purdue.
Tristen Newton, Stephon Castle and Cam Spencer were just too much for the Boilermakers, pulling up from range and weaving through the Purdue defense at will as the Huskies pulled away from their second title in as many years. Newton led the team with 20 points, seven assists and five rebounds. Castle had 15 points and five rebounds. Spencer finished with 11 points and eight rebounds.
Edey was his usual dominant self on the low block and definitely got the better of Clingan in their matchup, but he didn’t have much help from his teammates. The two-time Naismith Player of the Year finished with 37 points and 10 rebounds in the loss as Purdue fell just short in its redemption tour a year after falling to a 16-seed in the first round of the tournament.
It’s the first time a team has won back-to-back titles since Florida did it in the 2006-07 seasons.
UConn’s dominance the last two years is ridiculous.
UConn states a case for one of the best two-year runs in NCAA history, beating Purdue 75-60 *Average margin of victory in the 2024 NCAA tournament is 23.3 points over six games. *UConn’s average margin of victory in the 2023 NCAA tournament was 20 points over the six games.
That’ll do it. UConn goes back-to-back and picks up its sixth national championship.
Dan Hurley just barely avoided what easily would have been the funniest ejection in basketball history. UConn is less than 3 minutes from a championship, and he just pushed his own player on the court.
UConn is just minutes away from winning back-to-back titles, something we haven’t seen since 2006 and 2007.
Samson Johnson just fouled out for UConn. Donovan Clingan has 4 now, too. Purdue, though, is likely out of time to take advantage of the foul trouble.
UConn leads 63-46 with 5:38 to go.
This is the battle we came to see.
I think we may be done here. Alex Karaban just hit a corner 3, and then Hassan Diarra just drilled a fast break layup.
The Huskies are up 56-40 now with 9:27 to go.
I have no idea how Tristen Newton got this to go, but he pulled it off. UConn is rolling now.
Zach Edey hasn’t scored in more than 10 minutes now, and UConn is up by double digits with 15 minutes to go
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