BOSTON — UConn is headed back to the Final Four after the top-seeded Huskies put together an utterly dominant display to take down No. 3 Illinois, 77-52, in Saturday’s East Regional final at TD Garden.
UConn now owns the most wins in a single season in program history with a 35-3 record, while the Fighting Illini end their season with a 29-8 mark.
Check out the full box score here.
ONE BIG TAKEAWAY
Illinois was right where they wanted to be with UConn with under two minutes to go in the first half, tied at 23-all.
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But then the Huskies went to another level and left the Fighting Illini completely in the dust.
UConn rode the momentum of a spirited crowd to an earth-shattering 30-0 run that left no doubt who would be cutting down the nets in Boston. The Huskies’ massive tear really took off to start the second half as they scored the first 25 points of the frame. Illinois didn’t score its first points of the half until 12:39 to go and they already were down 30 points at that time.
Donovan Clingan was the catalyst of the incredible run as he took over the game at both ends of the floor. His stellar effort helped the Huskies outscore the Fighting Illini, 49-29, over the final 20 minutes.
It looked like the Huskies were going to be in their first close NCAA Tournament game in a long time given the way the first half played out. But they certainly had other plans and now have won 10 straight NCAA Tournament games by double digits.
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STARS OF THE GAME
— Clingan was a complete game-changer down low for UConn. The 7-foot-2 sophomore center posted a double-double of 22 points and 10 rebounds to go along with three steals. He also recorded five blocks, one of which was more than worthy of a highlight reel when he swatted Quincy Guerrier at the rim.
— UConn redshirt sophomore and Massachusetts native Alex Karaban delivered in the second half. He scored all 10 of his points in the second half, including throwing down an emphatic dunk in transition while getting fouled.
— Marcus Domask was the leading scorer for the Fighting Illini. He notched 17 points on 7-for-13 shooting.
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WAGER WATCH
FanDuel Sportsbook set the game’s total over/under at 153.5 with -105 odds on the Under. A defensive battle ensued in the first half to make sure the Under hit easily. A $100 wager would have netted a total of $195.24.
UP NEXT
UConn will head out to Phoenix to compete in the Final Four at State Farm Stadium. The Huskies will face the winner of No. 4 Alabama and No. 6 Clemson in a national semifinal matchup next Saturday. Time for the game has yet to be announced.
Featured image via Winslow Townson/USA TODAY Sports Images
