UConn takes down Illinois in Final Four, 71-62
· Yahoo Sports
UConn is playing in the last game of the season, with a chance to win the program’s seventh national championship after beating Illinois, 71-62, at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis.
“There’s no better feeling than being on that bus on Monday night, just being one of the last two teams standing,” Husky head coach Dan Hurley said post-game. “I look forward to the ability to max out the season to get to the last game.”
Visit rouesnews.click for more information.
UConn is in the title game for the third time in four years. In a game that saw them control long stretches before holding off a late comeback effort, the Huskies came out victorious.
Fresh off his historic buzzer-beater against Duke, Braylon Mullins wasted no time, hitting a three for the game’s first bucket and following it up with another to set the tone early.
Tarris Reed Jr. established himself inside just as quickly, hitting an and-one and throwing down a slam to help the Huskies jump out to a slim early lead. Jayden Ross hit a pair of threes to help UConn build the buffer up to 21-15 lead. But Illinois didn’t go away quietly.
The Illini took advantage of a UConn scoring drought and went on a 6-0 run, which saw them grab a 22-21 lead. After a little over three minutes without a basket, Reed ended the drought with a hook shot to reclaim the lead.
From there, the Huskies flipped the switch and mounted a run of their own. Mullins converted a three-point play before drilling another three as part of a 13-2 run that pushed the lead to double digits. At halftime, UConn led 37-29, fueled by efficient ball movement and disciplined offense. The Huskies recorded nine assists with zero turnovers in the first half, compared to just one assist from Illinois.
UConn built on that lead out of the gate in the second half, but Keaton Wagler and Illinois kept fighting. They chipped away at the lead before another UConn drought cut a lead as big as 14 into single digits. Solo Ball scored 10 points in the second half, knocking down multiple threes and finishing a fastbreak dunk to help keep the Huskies ahead.
A 10-0 run brought the Illini right back into the game, cutting their deficit to 53-57 and forcing UConn into a tense finish. The Huskies responded with a Reed layup and a Ball dunk that put UConn up 61-53.
Even throughout all the momentum plays, Illinois refused to roll over, hitting a three to cut the deficit to five. The two teams traded free throws, with the Huskies maintaining a 63-57 lead.
Keaton Wagler converted a layup to bring the Illinois lead down to four points, but Braylon Mullins came up clutch late once again. When the Huskies needed it most, Mullins hit his first shot of the half with a dagger three to extend the Huskies’ lead, 66-59, with less than a minute left.
Wagler answered right back with a stepback three to get it to 66-62, but with little time remaining, all Illinois could do was foul and hope for misses at the line. Free throws from Silas Demary Jr., Jayden Ross, and Tarris Reed helped seal the game in the final minute, as UConn did just enough to hold off Illinois and win 71-62.
The second half wasn’t comfortable, but it was enough. Reed continued his dominant tournament run with a 17-point, 11-rebound double-double. Mullins, coming off the game of his life, scored 15 points and knocked down four three-pointers, and Solo Ball came up big in the second half, finishing with 13 points.
UConn is now one win away from another national title, continuing a dominant run that has become the standard in the Dan Hurley era. The Huskies will play the winner of Sunday night’s finale featuring Arizona-Michigan, with the championship game tipping off at 8:50 p.m.