UConn Dominates San Diego State in 2023 NCAA Men’s Basketball Championship Game, Wins Fifth National Title
On April 3, 2023, the NCAA men's basketball championship game took place between the San Diego State University Aztecs and the University of Connecticut Huskies.[0] The Huskies, seeking their fifth national championship, won the game with a score of 76-59, marking their dominance throughout the entire tournament.[1]
Leading up to the championship game, both teams had taken different paths. UConn had advanced into the title game for the fifth time in school history and the first time since 2014 after drubbing Miami in the Final Four, with all five of their NCAA Tournament wins coming by 13 or more points. On the other hand, San Diego State had fought tooth and nail to reach this spot, making its first title game appearance after winning each of its last two games by a combined two points.[2]
Despite San Diego State having a slight defensive edge over UConn, allowing about 63 points per game, more than a point under than the Huskies, UConn had been steamrolling their way through the tournament, winning their five games by more than an average of 18 points.[3] The Huskies had also won every game of the NCAA tournament by an average of 20.6 points and were led by junior forward Adama Sanogo, who was averaging 17.2 points per game and 7.6 rebounds.[4]
The championship game marked a fitting way to crown a UConn team that had played worthy enough to be a champion, as they became just the sixth team in the 64-team tournament era to win each of their NCAA games by 10-plus points to advance to the final game. Tristen Newton led the Huskies with 19 points and 10 rebounds, while Sanogo added 17 points and 10 rebounds and was named the Final Four's Most Outstanding Player.[5]
For San Diego State, it was a bittersweet moment as they had been on the winning side of several close games, including their last two which were both decided by one point.[2] They had defeated No. 12 Charleston, No. 13 Furman, No. 1 Alabama, No. 6 Creighton, and No. 9 FAU to reach the title game, but ultimately fell short against the dominant UConn team.[2]
The game was held at NRG Stadium in Houston, which was also the site of the Final Four, and tipped off at 9:20 p.m.[6] Sorry, there is no text to rewrite.[6] It aired live nationally on CBS, with The Athletic providing live coverage of the game.
A championship on Monday for UConn moved them into a tie for fourth place with the most national titles ever, joining Duke and Indiana.[7] With a total of 11, UCLA is in the lead, while Kentucky has eight and North Carolina has six.[7] The win also made a case for UConn to be counted among the premier brands in the country.[8]
Overall, the 2023 NCAA men's basketball championship game marked a dominant performance by the UConn Huskies, who had been the team to beat throughout the entire tournament.
0. “UConn and San Diego State are set for NCAA men's basketball final. What are the odds?” NPR, 3 Apr. 2023, https://www.npr.org/2023/04/03/1167662827/uconn-san-diego-ncaa-mens-final-preview
1. “Why San Diego State’s NCAA Tournament run should give hope to Tennessee” Saturday Down South, 3 Apr. 2023, https://www.saturdaydownsouth.com/tennessee-football/why-san-diego-state-run-ncaa-tournament-should-give-hope-tennessee/
2. “UK Wildcats News: Who Wins NCAA Men’s National Championship?” A Sea Of Blue, 3 Apr. 2023, https://www.aseaofblue.com/2023/4/3/23667621/uk-wildcats-news-who-wins-ncaa-mens-national-championship
3. “UConn, San Diego State for the NCAA Tournament title started with 2 dreamers” The Athletic, 3 Apr. 2023, https://theathletic.com/4374104/2023/04/03/uconn-sdsu-ncaa-tournament-title-calhoun-fisher
4. “March Madness final live updates: UConn, SDSU meet for NCAA title” USA TODAY, 4 Apr. 2023, https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/ncaab/2023/04/03/uconn-sdsu-march-madness-ncaa-tournament-championship-game/11588743002/
5. “NCAA basketball national championship scores, updates, how to watch: No. 4 UConn vs. No. 5 San Diego State” Yahoo Sports, 4 Apr. 2023, https://sports.yahoo.com/ncaa-basketball-national-championship-scores-updates-how-to-watch-no-4-uconn-vs-no-5-san-diego-state-210118292.html
6. “UConn vs. San Diego State in NCAA men's title game: Time, TV, streams” USA TODAY, 3 Apr. 2023, https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/ncaab/finalfour/2023/04/03/uconn-san-diego-state-time-tv-streaming-ncaa-tournament-final/11571100002/
7. “Huskies Looking to Make History, Add to Program's Legacy – UConn Today” University of Connecticut, 3 Apr. 2023, https://today.uconn.edu/2023/04/huskies-looking-to-make-their-history-add-to-programs-legacy/
8. “Huskies Face San Diego St. For National Championship – University of Connecticut Athletics” UConn Huskies, 3 Apr. 2023, https://uconnhuskies.com/news/2023/4/2/mens-basketball-huskies-face-san-diego-st-for-national-championship
