In Saturday’s Final Four clash at State Farm Stadium, top-seeded UConn overcame Alabama’s early 3-point shooting advantage with an 86-72 triumph.
On Monday, the Huskies—led by head coach Dan Hurley—will take on Purdue in the hopes of winning their second consecutive national championship.
With 11 minutes remaining in the half, a 3-pointer by Rylan Griffen gave the Crimson Tide a 23-18 lead. However, the Huskies rallied at the free-throw line to take a 44-40 advantage into halftime. During the stretch, seven-foot-two center Donovan Clingan scored a powerful transition slam over Latrell Wrightsell Jr. of Alabama.
UConn never fell behind in the second half, and a late 10-2 surge made the game decided.
A couple of dunks by Clingan sandwiched a massive block off the backboard during a Grant Nelson layup attempt, capping an incredible run for Clingan. Earlier in the half, Nelson posted a poster of the big man.
With a career-high-tying 21 points, Stephon Castle led the Huskies, while Clingan ended with eighteen points and four blocks.
Up until Saturday, UConn had only trailed once during the tournament, thanks to victories over Illinois, Stetson, Northwestern, and San Diego State. In the first four games, the Huskies led by a score of thirty.
At the beginning of the game, Alabama, the second-best team in the nation based on KenPom’s adjusted offensive efficiency, made eight of eleven triples, putting UConn in a position it hasn’t faced in this tournament. With 7:34 left, the Crimson Tide had just two possessions left.
