GLENDALE, Ariz. — They're back.
The University Huskies withstood a 40-minute onslaught from the University of Alabama to win Game 2 of the national semifinals 86-72 at State Farm Stadium and advance to the national championship game for the second consecutive year. . A historic matchup awaits them in Monday night's National Championship game against the Purdue Boilermakers.
UW is aiming to become the first team since the Florida Gators in 2006 and 2007 to win back-to-back national titles.
Freshman Stephon Castle scored a career-high 21 points to lead University over the Tide. Donovan Clingan added 18 points, Alex Karavan and Cam Spencer each added 14 points and Tristen Newton added 12 points.
Crimson Tide guard Mark Sears scored a game-high 24 points. Grant Nelson scored 19 points and Aaron Estrada added 13 points. Alabama was tied at 56 points with 12 minutes and 41 seconds remaining, but the Huskies ended the game with a 30-16 win and advanced.
With the title game set, ESPN's Jon Gassaway, Josh Weinfuss, Jeff Borzello and Myron Medcalf break down the winners and losers of each of Saturday's men's Final Four games, and find out what will happen at State Farm Stadium on Monday. prepare. — Josh Weinfuss
How Yukon defeated Alabama 86-72
What was the key to Connecticut's victory?
After allowing multiple eight-point leads in the first five minutes of the second half and tied the score at 56 with 12:41 left, Collegiate Conn took control with an 8-0 run. And the Huskies never looked back.
Castle gained momentum with four straight points, Samson Johnson added a dunk and Karavan hit a jump shot to put the Huskies up by eight points. From there, Alabama never got closer than six points. — Winefuss
What surprised you most about this game?
University won by outscoring Alabama rather than stopping the Crimson Tide. Yes, the Huskies are ranked No. 1 in offense on his KenPom, but we're talking about a team that completely shut down opposing offenses and made it to the Final Four. Just ask Illinois. Meanwhile, against the Tide, Stephon Castle had great scoring and UW committed just four turnovers. — Gasaway
Who was the most outstanding player?
Castle had a rare touch when he became the third Big East freshman to score 20 points in a Final Four game, joining Carmelo Anthony and Patrick Ewing. He scored a career-tying 21 points, adding five rebounds. He started the run when he made an alley-oop from guard Tristen Newton with 15:43 left and never gave up the lead to the Huskies. — Winefuss
Will UConn become a little more unstoppable after this game?
These are relative things, right? No, UConn never had a 30 point lead on the Crimson Tide. That's a laughably high bar this team has set for itself. He is still talked about on a team that won 11 straight games by double digits in the NCAA Tournament. That's unreal. The Huskies can be stopped because history has proven that even the best teams can be stopped. But UConn still looks very hard to beat. — Gasaway
What will Alabama's legacy be?
Nate Oats produced another offensive giant, leading the school to its first Final Four appearance. This is proof that he can achieve even greater success in the future. His formula works. His team uses a lot of 3-point shots and avoids mid-range shots. They play fast and try to pace the team. This worked for half of the game against the Huskies, but not the entire game. But Oats' system has taken Alabama to college basketball's biggest stage and could continue to do so in future seasons. That's important. — Myron Medcalf
Zach Eady's 20-point double-double propels Purdue to NCAA men's finals
Zach Eady's 20 points and 12 boards helped lead Purdue past North Carolina State and advance to the NCAA Tournament championship game for the first time since 1969.
How Purdue beat NC State 63-50
What was the key to Purdue's victory?
Well, Purdue had a two-time AP Player of the Year who played just like a two-time AP Player of the Year, plus his outside shooting. They advanced to the national championship game. The Boilermakers made 10 3-pointers (40% from behind the arc) while holding North Carolina State to 28.8%. This was a far cry from Purdue's previous two NCAA tournaments, despite a tournament-high 16 turnovers. At the time, Purdue shot just 26.7% from three. The Boilers' shooting allowed them to avoid a fifth loss despite committing at least 14 turnovers. . — Josh Weinfuss
What surprised you most about this game?
This piece was missing a total of 30-40 points, which I didn't think would happen. Purdue easily advanced to the Final Four with the best offense in the tournament, scoring 1.29 points per possession in four wins. This time, however, the Boilermakers scored 63 points on 64 plays down the floor. NC State was successful in forcing the Boilers into 16 turnovers, but the Wolfpack couldn't get any shots off the ground. — Gasaway
Who was the most outstanding player?
Who else? This Purdue team got past Zach Eady one way or another, and it happened again. Eady had 20 points and 12 rebounds, marking his sixth consecutive double-double since last year's NCAA Tournament and becoming the first Big Ten player to record five double-doubles in the NCAA Tournament. He was also able to impact the game on his own, beyond scoring and rebounding. Eady touched the ball on 41 possessions, scoring 36 points for Purdue and committing just six turnovers. — Winefuss
What can Purdue's next opponent take away from this game?
Don't foul Edie. North Carolina State wins if it holds the Wood Award winner to a 20-12 double-double. The Wolfpack couldn't follow it up and score enough points. Still, in a situation where there are no good options, letting Eadie score from the field is the best option. Eadie will score points no matter what, but don't put him at risk or deplete your frontcourt. — Gasaway
What will North Carolina State University’s legacy be?
North Carolina State's run to the Final Four is still historic. The Wolfpack made it to the Final Four, where he was sixth out of 11 seeds, and his record in elimination games was just amazing, winning nine straight. With Jim Valvano and his incredible 1983 winning record at North Carolina State coming out of the archives, Burns emerged as one of the breakout stars of his NCAA Tournament run. Keats currently has plenty of job security, and Lowry has proven to be a place where a move could have an immediate impact. — Jeff Borzello