The UConn Huskies are headed to the national championship — again — after pulling away from Alabama in the second half of Saturday’s semifinal.
UConn’s quest to become college basketball’s first back-to-back national champions since 2007 remains alive following a hard-fought 86-72 victory over Alabama.
The Huskies were led by star freshman Stephon Castle, who showed why he’s projected to be a lottery pick in June’s NBA Draft. Castle scored a team-high 21 points while playing stellar defense on the other end, spearheading UConn’s attack on both ends.
“He’s not like any other freshman, he’s out there to do whatever our team needs to win,” Donovan Clingan said postgame about Castle’s performance. “He’s one of the best on-ball defenders that we see. He puts a lot of work in and is the most unselfish player on this team.”
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UConn’s run to the Final Four had been marked by the kind of dominance you’d expect from the nation’s best team. The Huskies had won its first four NCAA Tournament contests by nearly 28 points per game. On Saturday, however, Alabama’s offense gave UConn its first real taste of pressure this postseason.
The Crimson Tide made eight 3-pointers in the first half and continued their hot shooting into the second. The teams matched runs after halftime, and Alabama tied the game at 56 following a 9-1 spurt propelled by a statement dunk from Grant Nelson.
But UConn responded the way UConn does: with a composed determination. The Huskies immediately scored the game’s next eight points, kickstarting a 30-16 run to close the game. It was te second game in a row where the Huskies went on a big run to slam the door, following the 30-0 run that put away Illinois in the Elite Eight.
“It was pretty quick,” Alabama head coach Nate Oats said of UConn’s game-changing run. “They’re good. Like Danny [Hurley] says, they’re close to being bulletproof.”
Hurley, on the other hand, didn’t necessarily feel bulletproof before that run.
“We were able to finally defend well enough in the second half, get 3-point line defense straightened out there,” Hurley continued. “But they’re really, really hard to guard. I’m pleased with the way we were able to close the game out.”
Clingan solidified the victory with a pair of late dunks. Those exclamation points cemented the Huskies’ date with Purdue in Monday night’s championship bout.
“Everybody comes to UConn to make history, but none of us are satisfied right now,” Clingan explained. “We know there’s more business at hand on Monday.”
Castle rises to the occasion
Alabama’s game plan seemed to be to make Castle beat them. The Tide started the game sagging off the freshman. It was a plan to play the percentages given Castle’s poor perimeter shooting on the season, according to Oats, but it served as a springboard to a career game for the 6-6, 215-pounder.
“I noticed it the first play of the game when we were running a set and the guy guarding me was in the paint,” Castle explained postgame. “I wouldn’t say it was motivation, I would say it was disrespectful on their end.”
Disrespect or not, Castle seized on the opportunity.
“I took advantage of it and saw the ball go in early, and it sparked a good day for me,” the freshman said.
Other than that, the Tide largely did what they set out to do. Mark Sears scored a game-high 24 points, they made 11 out of 23 shots (47.8 percent) from 3-point range, and Tristen Newton was held relatively in check. UConn also didn’t get much production from its bench.
Yet none of that mattered to the Huskies, who put forth another masterclass performance. They shot an even 50 percent from the field, won the rebounding battle, and had 20 assists on 31 made shots.
Huskies chasing the history books
The win sets up a clash of titans in the national championship game. Both UConn and Purdue have been among the nation’s top three teams virtually all season. Now, they meet in a showdown full of storylines.
For UConn, it’s an opportunity to win the program’s sixth title in 25 years. That’s a run that only John Wooden’s UCLA teams have bested in the sport’s history. Moreover, the Huskies could become the first back-to-back national champions since Florida in 2006 and 2007. The Huskies aren’t phased in the face of history, however.
“We make a hard tournament look easy, it’s crazy,” Hurley said postgame. “It’s the culture, the preparation, the commitment to every aspect of the game to keep ourselves as bulletproof as possible.”