UConn capped off its improbable tournament run by defeating the Kentucky Wildcats 60-54 to win the school’s fourth NCAA men’s basketball title and second in four years.
In a game that featured the highest combined seeds in national championship history, the No. 7 seed Huskies never trailed the eighth-seeded Wildcats. Kentucky cut the deficit to one with 8:13 remaining, but Aaron Harrison missed a go-ahead 3-pointer from the corner. The Huskies responded by sinking consecutive threes to increase their lead to five points, and they held off UK the rest of the way.
Roxbury, Mass., native Shabazz Napier led the way for UConn, finishing with 22 points, six rebounds and three assists. The senior guard, who was a freshman during the Huskies’ 2010-11 championship season, was chosen as the Final Four’s Most Outstanding Player.
John Calipari’s Kentucky squad was looking to become the first team with five freshman starters to win a title, but despite a 20-point effort from James Young, poor free-throw shooting eventually prevented the Wildcats from winning its second championship in three seasons. Kentucky missed 11 free throws on the night, going 13-for-24 from the stripe.
The Huskies are now 4-0 in national championship games.
Photo via Twitter/@marchmadness
