The UCONN (University of Connecticut) Huskies are top dogs once again in the “big dance” as they win back-to-back national titles, defeating the Purdue Boilermakers 75-60. This is a feat that hasn’t been done since the Florida Gators in 2007, and it was done in a dominating fashion outscoring all six opponents in the tournament by a NCAA record of 140 points. The Huskies also trailed for 38 seconds in this tournament and they have never trailed behind at halftime in any games in the tournament. In the words of Turner Broadcasting Service’s (TBS) play-by-play man, Ian Eagle, it was “utter domination.”
Senior Guard Tristen Newton led the way for the Huskies with 20 points, 7 assists, and 5 rebounds, and was named the game’s most valuable player (MVP). Freshman guard Stephon Castle had 15 points, and sophomore center Donovan Clingan and senior guard each had 11 points.
The Boilermakers had little contribution with Senior center and projected top NBA draft pick prospect Zach Edey. Almost two thirds of the Boilermakers offense had 37 points out of the total. Sophomore guard Braden Smith was the second leading scorer as he had 12 points.
The only shining point for the Boilermakers was a putback dunk made by freshman forward Camden Heide, who had only 2 points in this game. He cut the UConn lead to a 34-43 Huskies lead.
Overall, it was a dominant night for the Huskies as they steamrolled past the Boilermakers into their sixth national championship, and look to be the gold standard in the modern men’s college basketball game.
