Connecticut routs San Diego State to win its fifth NCAA men’s basketball title after dominating tournament | CNN

UConn Claims NCAA Title, Completes Dominant Run

The University of Connecticut has won its fifth men's basketball national title with a resounding 76-59 victory over San Diego State in Monday night's championship game at NRG Stadium. The Huskies, led by senior guard Tristen Newton and junior forward Adama Sanogo, demonstrated their dominance throughout the tournament, finishing each of their six games with a winning margin of at least 10 points.

Newton, who scored 19 points and grabbed 10 rebounds in the title game, was instrumental in UConn's comeback victory. The Huskies trailed early in the first half but took control midway through the second half, outscoring San Diego State by nine points to seal their championship win.

San Diego State, despite a valiant effort from Keshad Johnson and Adam Seiko, could not match the Huskies' level of play. The Aztecs made a late surge in the second half but ultimately fell short against UConn's superior firepower.

Coach Dan Hurley credited his team's confidence-boosting regular season for their championship win. "We knew we could play at our level," he said, referencing the Huskies' six losses during the regular season. "We had to be at our best tonight."

San Diego State coach Brian Dutcher acknowledged that UConn was the better team throughout the tournament. "We battled back, but gave them too much separation," he said. "A lot had to do with UConn. They just made a little bit more plays when it mattered most."

The championship win marked UConn's sixth national title since 1999 and its fifth overall. The Huskies' men's team joins an elite group of programs that have won five or more titles, including UCLA, Kentucky, North Carolina, Duke, and Indiana.

UConn's women's teams have also been highly successful in recent years, winning 11 basketball national titles since 1995.

For the Huskies' players, the championship was a bittersweet moment. Senior guard Jordan Hawkins talked about the significance of winning the title on the same day his cousin Angel Reese won the women's championship with Louisiana State University.

"This is an amazing feeling," Hawkins said. "I mean it's absolutely amazing that we both get this opportunity and I mean, our family reunion is going to be great so that's all I know."

UConn enters the rarefied air of programs that have won five or more national titles, a testament to their consistent excellence over the years.
 
OMG 🤯 UConn is literally THE KING 👑 of college hoops right now 🏆!!! 5th title and they're still killing it 💥 I mean, who else can say that?! 🤷‍♂️ Coach Dan Hurley is a GENIUS 🙌 he knows exactly how to get the most out of his team. And those players, man... Tristen Newton is on FIRE 🔥! I'm so hyped for Adama Sanogo too, he's got skills for days 💪 UConn's dominance is REAL 😎 can't wait to see what they do next season 🤔
 
🏆👏 The Huskies are on fire! 🌡️💥 Their fifth title is no surprise, they've been dominating all tournament long 🔒💪 Tristen Newton and Adama Sanogo are unstoppable duo 💯🤝 Coach Hurley's confidence boost during the regular season really paid off 🙌😊

Here's a simple diagram to show their dominance:
```
+---------------+
| UConn | |
+---------------+
|
| Dominant wins
v
+---------------+---------------+
| San Diego | Aztecs |
+---------------+---------------+
|
| Lost by 10+
v
+---------------+---------------+
| Opponent | UConn |
+---------------+---------------+
```
👍
 
Man 🤯, UConn just went out there and took down San Diego State 76-59 in the NCAA championship game. Tristen Newton led the charge with 19 points and 10 rebounds 🕺. I'm telling you, that senior guard has some serious MVP stuff going on 💪.

It's crazy to think about how dominant they were throughout the tournament, outscoring their opponents by at least 10 points in each of their six games 🤯. And Coach Hurley's comment about having confidence-boosting regular season? Totally true for me, I mean who doesn't want to go into a big game feeling on top of your game 😎.

But what's even crazier is that they're now part of an elite group of programs with five or more national titles 🏆. I mean, UCLA, Kentucky, and Duke are all legends in their own right, but UConn's definitely proving themselves to be a force to be reckoned with this season 👊.

And can we talk about the women's team for a second? 11 basketball national titles since 1995 is some serious sauce 💁‍♀️. UConn's on fire and I'm hyped to see what they do next 🔥.
 
OMG 🤯 what can i say?! uconn is like, totally on fire right now 🔥 they've been dominating the ncaa tournament and it's so exciting to watch them play!!! 🏀 i love how confident coach dan hurley sounds about his team - yeah, you go huskies!! 💪 but seriously, 5 or more national titles? that's crazy! and a family reunion at the championship game? genius move by jordan hawkins to make it extra special for his cousin 🤝
 
🤔 uconn's 5th title is cool i guess but it just shows how predictable the ncaa tournament is every year some team comes along and dominates everyone else 🙄 i mean dont get me wrong the huskies played well but it wasnt like they were even close to being challenged by san diego state 😒. coach hurley says they had confidence boosting regular season but that just feels like a cop out to me. what about actual skill on the court? how many times did the aztecs get open looks? 🤷‍♂️
 
Yooo! Congrats to UConn on winning that 5th NCAA title 🎉💪! They played some sick ball and really showed off their skills. Tristen Newton was on fire last night, and Adama Sanogo was unstoppable! 🤯 I'm loving how confident Coach Hurley seems, knowing they could take it to any team. And can we talk about the rivalry with Jordan's cousin winning the women's title? That's some next-level family vibes right there 👪💕
 
omg I'm so happy for UConn 🎉 they worked so hard and it paid off its kinda crazy that Jordan Hawkins was talking about his cousin winning the women's title too my sister is like super into basketball and she's been screaming her head off since this game 🤣 anyway did you guys know that NRG Stadium has a awesome view of the city? i saw some vids online before the game and it looked so lit 💥
 
omg i'm literally SHOOK!!!!!! 😍 uconn is the GOAT 🐻💪 i mean they dominated from start to finish and it's clear they were the better team throughout the whole tournament. coach dan hurley must be a genius or something 💡 he really brought out the best in his team. San diego state was super close though, keshad johnson and adam seiko are like total ballers 🤩
 
OMG, UConn is literally on fire right now 🚀🏀 they've won 5 NCAA titles and it's not even close 😅 San Diego State tried so hard but just couldn't keep up 💪 I'm glad Coach Dan Hurley gave credit to his team's regular season confidence boost, that's super true 👍 And can we talk about the seniors? Jordan Hawkins is literally crying tears of joy over here 🎉💕 Angel Reese too! That family reunion is gonna be EPIC 😂🏆
 
Yaaas 🎉 UConn finally did it! They've been working so hard for this moment and it's amazing to see them bring home another title 💪 I'm loving Tristen Newton's performance, he's such a beast on the court 🔥 And I have to give a shoutout to Adama Sanogo, his dominance was unstoppable 🤯 Coach Dan Hurley said they needed to believe in themselves all season, and it paid off 💕 It's not just about winning though, it's about the growth and lessons learned along the way. These Huskies are going to miss their senior players, but they're leaving a legacy that'll live on 🙏
 
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