This past Monday, UConn (University of Connecticut) defeated San Diego State 74-59 to capture the men’s NCAA title for the fifth time. Prior championships for the Huskies came in 1999, 2004, 2011, and 2014. They averaged 8.6 points more per game than the Aztecs’ 71.5, making them the favorites going into the championships on Monday.
The Huskies got off to a terrific start, taking a 16-point lead into halftime over their opponents, San Diego State. When it appeared that all had been decided, the Aztecs only managed to reduce the advantage to 5 points in the second half. The Aztecs were looking to duplicate their semifinal victory, when they overcame a 14-point deficit to advance to the championship game. UConn, however, made a quick adjustment and prevailed. San Diego was playing in its first championship game.
Since the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) bracket was expanded, the Huskies are the fifth team in history to win all six tournament games by double digits. With five championships, the Huskies have now matched Duke and Indiana. North Carolina has six, UCLA has eleven, and the University of Kentucky has eight. UConn has won four of its five championships in Texas after winning the 2023 Men’s National Collegiate Athletic Association Championship in Houston.
