UConn Wins Back-To-Back NCAA Championships

The UConn Huskies defeated the Purdue Boilermakers 75-60 Monday to become the second team to win the national championship back-to-back this century.

The last team to accomplish the feat were the 2006-2007 Florida Gators. The Gators that year did not just win the title back-to-back, but were the first team to do so while starting the same five players.

BACK TO BACK‼️#EVERYTHING pic.twitter.com/hTs7yCTMAf

— UConn Men's Basketball (@UConnMBB) April 9, 2024

The Championship Game

The Arizona Cardinals State Farm Stadium  in Glendale played host for the NCAA men’s final, as 74,423 fans packed the stands to watch UConn win its sixth national championship.

Purdue (34-5) was first on the scoreboard with two-point jumper from Trey Kaufman-Renn, but after a 3-pointer by Connecticut’s Cam Spencer, the Boilermakers struggled to create a sustainable lead.

The first half of the game, statistically, showed to be a fair fight between the programs. Purdue’s repeat National Player of the Year Zach Edey started quick, putting up 16 points, five rebounds and two blocked shots in the first half.

The Huskies (37-3) put up a wider production of points as five players accounted for UConn’s 36 points going into halftime leading 36-30.

HALFTIME

UConn ends half of 13-7 burst for a 36-30 lead.

✅: Edey — 16 pts, 5 rebs, 2 blks
✅: Smith — 9 pts, 3 rebs, 3 asts pic.twitter.com/rCFyqBAT6t

— Purdue Men's Basketball (@BoilerBall) April 9, 2024

For Purdue, a one-man show could have only gone so far.

In the second half, the Huskies were hungry, answering with a quick nine-point lead (41-32), within three minutes of the half’s start time.

It was all downhill for the Boilermakers, allowing the deficit to grow into as much as an 18-point UConn advantage. Purdue never overcame, closing the deficit to only just 11 points at one point.

Offense vs. Defense

The Huskies won the title because of a balanced offense and an efficient defense. The Huskies controlled the nation’s second-best 3-point shooting team, allowing Purdue just seven shots from downtown. Only one was made.

Edey scored 37 points and 10 rebounds, earning his 30th double-double of the season, but not even that was enough for Purdue.

Four Huskies scored double-digits, as Tristen Newton led the game for UConn with 20 points, seven assists and five rebounds. For his efforts, Newton was named the Most Outstanding Player of the Final Four.

player of THE game. #EVERYTHING | @keybank pic.twitter.com/saICsUTPa6

— UConn Men's Basketball (@UConnMBB) April 9, 2024

Stephon Castle put up 15, while Donovan Clingan and Spencer accounted for 11 points of their own for the Huskies.

The championship game secured UConn’s 12th straight March Madness win. The Huskies, proving their dominance, won each of them by more than 13 points.

UConn coach Dan Hurley commented on the Huskies 2024 NCAA Championship title compared to last year’s: