After a March Madness filled with twists and surprises -- all four No. 1 seeds failed to reach the Elite Eight for the first ever time in NCAA men's basketball tournament history -- it is time for the grand finale as UConn faces San Diego State on Monday for the title.
In pictures: UConn brings home its fifth national title 26 photos UConn's Tristen Newton is lifted in the postgame celebrations after the Huskies won the NCAA Tournament final on Monday, April 3.
Brynn Anderson/AP In pictures: UConn brings home its fifth national title UConn's Tristen Newton is lifted in the postgame celebrations after the Huskies won the NCAA Tournament final on Monday, April 3.
Brynn Anderson/AP UConn's Andrew Hurley helps cut down the nets after the game. Hurley is also the son of UConn head coach Dan Hurley.
Jamie Schwaberow/NCAA Photos/Getty Images UConn players lift the championship trophy.
Godofredo A. Vasquez/AP San Diego State's Micah Parrish and Tyler Broughton sit in the locker room after the game.
Brynn Anderson/AP UConn celebrates after the final whistle.
Brett Wilhelm/NCAA Photos/Getty Images UConn guard Jordan Hawkins celebrates during the second half.
Brynn Anderson/AP UConn's Donovan Clingan watches the game during the second half.
David J. Phillip/AP San Diego State's Lamont Butler shoots a floater in the second half.
Jamie Schwaberow/NCAA Photos/Getty Images From left, San Diego State's Aguek Arop, UConn's Andre Jackson Jr. and Butler box out during a second-half free throw.
Jamie Schwaberow/NCAA Photos/Getty Images UConn's Adama Sanogo shoots the ball over Nathan Mensah. Sanogo finished with 17 points and 10 rebounds, and he was later named the tournament's most outstanding player.
Gregory Shamus/Getty Images Newton blocks a shot by Darrion Trammell during the second half.
David J. Phillip/AP San Diego State fans watch the second half.
Logan Riely/Getty Images San Diego State head coach Brian Dutcher argues a call during the second half.
Carmen Mandato/Getty Images Hawkins attempts a dunk at the start of the second half. It clanged off the back of the rim.
David J. Phillip/AP San Diego State's Keshad Johnson celebrates after scoring.
David J. Phillip/AP Butler, right, takes a charge on Clingan during the first half. At halftime, UConn led 36-24.
Gregory Shamus/Getty Images Jackson competes for the ball with San Diego State's Adam Seiko.
Brynn Anderson/AP UConn's Joey Calcaterra shoots a layup during the first half.
Bob Donnan/USA Today Sports/Reuters UConn fans celebrate during the first half.
Ben Solomon/NCAA Photos/Getty Images San Diego State's Matt Bradley is defended by Jackson. In the first half, San Diego State went more than 11 minutes without scoring a field goal.
Brynn Anderson/AP UConn head coach Dan Hurley yells during the first half.
Brynn Anderson/AP NRG Stadium, the site of this year's Final Four, is also the home of the NFL's Houston Texans.
Logan Riely/Getty Images Newton pulls down a rebound in the first half.
Brynn Anderson/AP UConn fans cheer before the game.
Brynn Anderson/AP The flag is unfurled for the National Anthem before the game.
Bob Donnan/USA Today Sports/Reuters Astronauts for the upcoming Artemis II mission pose for a photo at the game. The crew members, from left, are Jeremy Hansen, Christina Hammock Koch, Victor Glover and Reid Wiseman.
Brynn Anderson/AP Prev Next In pictures: UConn brings home its fifth national title Facebook Tweet Email Link Threads Link Copied!
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 Tristen Newton led UConn (31-8) with 19 points and 10 rebounds while Final Four Most Outstanding Player Adama Sanogo, a junior forward, chipped in with 17 points and 10 rebounds.
“We weren’t ranked going into the year so we had the chip on our shoulder,” UConn head coach Dan Hurley told game broadcaster CBS. “We knew the level that we could play at, even through those dark times,” he added, referencing the team’s six losses in eight games during the regular season.
He said going into the tournament his group had confidence garnered during the season.
“And when you have the type of leaders like Andre Jackson (game-high six assists Monday) and Adama Sanogo, they kept this team together, got us back on track and we knew we were the best team in the tournament going in and we just had to play to our level,” he added.
San Diego State (32-7) was topped by Keshad Johnson who had 14 points.
UConn's Adama Sanogo shoots against Nathan Mensah of San Diego State during the first half of the title game.
Gregory Shamus/Getty Images UConn trailed very early but San Diego State was undone by an 11-minute, eight-second stretch in which they scored just five free throws and missed 12 consecutive shots from the field. The Huskies went from down 10-6 to up 36-24 at halftime.
The Aztecs made a run midway through the second half and narrowed the deficit to five at 60-55 with 5:19 to play but the Huskies scored the next nine to take a comfortable lead into the final two minutes.
“We battled. Battled back to five in the second half, but gave them too much separation,” San Diego State coach Brian Dutcher said. “We had to be at our best. We weren’t at our best. A lot had to do with UConn.” Senior guard Adam Seiko told reporters they gave themselves a chance with their second half comeback but UConn “just made a little bit more plays” at the end.
“They have a lot of weapons. They were pretty good,” said Matt Bradley, also a senior guard. “To beat them, we had to make shots. I shot poorly. And you had to have a really good game to beat those dudes on the offensive end.” UConn won each of its six tournament games by at least 10 points, with its 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 were not for them I would not be here right now,” Sanogo told CBS.
Jordan Hawkins, who scored 16 points for UConn, talked about winning the crown one day after his cousin, Angel Reese of Louisiana State University, won the women’s title .
“I mean it’s absolutely amazing that we both get this opportunity and I mean the family reunion is going to be great so that’s all I know,” he said.
UConn enters rarefied air as only the sixth team to win five NCAA men’s basketball championships, joining UCLA (11), Kentucky (eight), North Carolina (six), Duke (five) and Indiana (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 national titles.
CNN’s Steve Almasy and Issy Ronald contributed to this report.
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