Alabama head coach explained his confidence in facing Purdue for the title
Head coach Dan Hurley’s Huskies will play Purdue on Monday in an attempt to capture a national championship for the second time in a row.
Rylan Griffen’s three-pointer with eleven minutes left in the half put the Crimson Tide ahead 23–18. But the Huskies came back at the free-throw line and led 44–40 at the half. Donovan Clingan, a seven-foot-two center from Alabama, scored a strong transition slam during that time against Latrell Wrightsell Jr.
UConn never trailed in the second half, and a decisive 10-2 run in the end sealed the game.
Clingan’s remarkable run came to an end with a pair of dunks sandwiching a huge block off the backboard during a layup attempt by Grant Nelson. Nelson had put up a poster of the big man earlier in the half.
Stephon Castle led the Huskies with a career-high-tying 21 points, and Clingan finished with eighteen points and four blocks.
Thanks to wins over Illinois, Stetson, Northwestern, and San Diego State, UConn has only trailed once in the tournament going into Saturday. The Huskies dominated the first four games by a score of thirty.
Alabama, the second-best team in the country according to KenPom’s adjusted offensive efficiency, made eight of eleven three-pointers at the start of the game, putting UConn in a situation it hasn’t encountered this tournament. The Crimson Tide had just two possessions remaining at 7:34.
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