CNN
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The University of Connecticut won its fifth men’s basketball national title with a 76-59 victory over San Diego State University on Monday night at NRG Stadium in Houston.
Senior Guard led ULONN (31-8) with 19 points and 10 rebounds while the last four most famous player Aong Ariagi, a junior forward with 17 points and 10 rebounds.
“We were unranked going into the year so we had a chip on our shoulder,” Ulace Head Coach Dad Hurley told CBS News. “We know the level we can play at, even in the dark times,” He added, determining the team’s Six losses in eight games in the usual time.
He said going into the tournament his team had confidence that was shocked by the weather.
“And when you have the type of leaders like Andre Jackson (Game-High Assist Monday) and Adana Sanogo, they bring back Tournament teams that go to our level,” he added.
San Diego State (32-7) was led by Keshad Johnson with 14 points.
Uconn trailed early but San Diego State didn’t end an 11-minute, eight-second streak hitting five free throws and missing 12 consecutive shots from the field. The Huskies went from 10-6 to 36-24 at halftime.
The Aztecs made a run midway through the second half and tied the deficit to five at 60-55 with 5:19 to play in the next nine to take a comfortable lead into the final two minutes.
“We battled. We came back out to five in the second half, but gave them too many breakaways,” San Diego State Coach Fian Dutcher said. “We need to be at our best. We’re not at our best. UConn has a lot to do.”
Senior Guard told Adam Seikro that they gave themselves a chance in their second half comeback but the bigger ones played “at the end.
“They have a lot of weapons. They are very good,” said Matt Bradley, also a senior guard. “To beat them, we have to make shots. I was shot with a bad game to beat people on the offensive end.”
Won each of the six tournament games by at least 10 points, with the closest game being a 13-point win over the University of Miami in the National Semifinals.
“I just want to thank my teammates, my coaches who believed in me. If it wasn’t for them I wouldn’t be here I wouldn’t be here today,” Sanog told CBS.
Jordan Hawkins, who scored 16 points for UConn, talked about winning the crown a day after her cousin, Louisiana State University, won the women’s title.
“I mean it’s amazing that we both got this opportunity and I mean the family reunion is going to be great so that’s all I know,” she said.
UConn enters the prerefied air as only the sixth team to win five NCAA Men’s basketballships in UCLA (11), Kentucky (eight), Duke) and Indive (five). All of Uconn’s titles have come since 1999 with the most recent before Monday occurring in 2014.
Uconn’s women’s teams have won 11 basketball titles.