Last Updated 11:50 PM, April 06, 2024
Donovan Clingan dominates in UConn's Final Four win
2:35
2:53 am, April 7, 2024
🐶 UConn is back to Monday night
BACK-TO-BACK TRIPS TO THE NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP GAME FOR UCONN ‼️#MarchMadness @UConnMBB pic.twitter.com/zXqkj7WsZb
— NCAA March Madness (@MarchMadnessMBB) April 7, 2024
Dan Hurley's Huskies are one win away from another title.
A physically dominant second half helped UConn move its streak to 11 consecutive tournament wins by 13-plus points. A win on Monday and the Huskies will be the first team to repeat as national champions since Florida in 2007.
Alabama did not back down from the challenge, but UConn pulled away late.
All five starters on UConn scored at least 12 points, and all but Clingan made multiple 3-pointers. Clingan scored 18 points with four blocks.
The Huskies will meet Purdue in Monday's national championship game, set for 9:20 p.m. ET on TBS/TNT/truTV.
2:15 am, April 7, 2024
🫨 Back-and-forth to start the second half
— NCAA March Madness (@MarchMadnessMBB) April 7, 2024STEPHON CASTLE GET UP 🗣️
The Huskies have answered right back with a run of their own 😮💨 #MarchMadness pic.twitter.com/jMSajsgcmt
The second half is absolutely on fire, as both teams trade blows on the offensive end.
Alabama pushed a quick 7-0 run to cut UConn's lead to one, but the Huskies quickly responded with a 7-0 run of their own to retake an eight-point lead.
At the under-16 timeout, UConn leads 55-47.
1:58 am, April 7, 2024
🔥 Second half starting now
Can UConn advance to its second-straight national championship game? Or will Alabama shock the Huskies and face Purdue on Monday?
Here are the team stats from the first half:
1:34 am, April 7, 2024
🚨 Halftime in the desert
Tristen in attack mode 😤#MadeForMarch | #MixForSix pic.twitter.com/9mIf5UqiaJ
— UConn Men's Basketball (@UConnMBB) April 7, 2024
An electric first-half closes with the Huskies on top, 44-40
Alabama was, as usual, red-hot from three in the opening 20, making eight of their 11 3-point attempts.
But UConn, shooting just 5/15 from deep, physically imposed themselves on a smaller Alabama team, making 11 free throws to Alabama's four.
1:07 am, April 7, 2024
😳 Alabama takes the lead
Latrell Wrightsell gives Alabama the lead 👀#MarchMadness pic.twitter.com/rmaf78jhcr
— NCAA March Madness (@MarchMadnessMBB) April 7, 2024
A flurry of 3-pointers gave Alabama a 23-20 lead at the under-12 timeout.
The two teams have combined for eight 3-pointers in the first 9-plus minutes, providing the offensive brilliance many expected to see in the nightcap of the Final Four.
Rylan Griffen has buried two triples for the Crimson Tide, and Stephon Castle has two made 3s and eight points for UConn. Donovan Clingan has yet to score, but he has two rebounds and two blocks for the Huskies.
12:38 am, April 7, 2024
🍿 We are underway in game two
No. 1 overall seed UConn battles the hot-shooting offense of No. 4 Alabama for the right to play Purdue in Monday's national championship game.
Here are the starting lineups for each team:
UConn
- Stephon Castle
- Alex Karaban
- Cam Spencer
- Tristen Newton
- Donovan Clingan
— NCAA March Madness (@MarchMadnessMBB) April 7, 2024It's a familiar place for @UConnMBB 😏
The Huskies look to defend their crown in Phoenix 👑 #MarchMadness pic.twitter.com/sG3XxaRLHB
Alabama
- Mark Sears
- Aaron Estrada
- Rylan Griffen
- Grant Nelson
- Nick Pringle
Alabama is READY for their first ever #MFinalFour 👏#MarchMadness @AlabamaMBB pic.twitter.com/l5YcuSTfhK
— NCAA March Madness (@MarchMadnessMBB) April 7, 2024
5:44 pm, April 1, 2024
👀 Series history: UConn vs. Alabama
Alex Karaban's buzzer beating three
UConn and Alabama have met only twice in their respective school histories. The Huskies won both contests, first during the 2004 Elite Eight and most recently in 2022 at thePhil Knight Invitational. Coincidentally, UConn won the national championship game both years they faced and beat the Crimson Tide.
Here's a look at all of the prior meetings
| Date | Location | Winner | Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nov. 25, 2022 | Portland, OR | UConn | 82-67 |
| March 27, 2004 | Phoenix, AZ | UConn | 87-71 |
Alabama's Mark Sears erupts for 30 points
4:39 pm, April 1, 2024
📊 How they stack up: UConn vs. Alabama
UConn and Alabama are a No. 1 and No. 4 seed in the 2024 men's NCAA tournament, respectively. Here's how they stack up based on this season's results and stats.
| UCONN | 2023-24 STATS | ALABAMA |
|---|---|---|
| 35-3 (18-2 Big East) | Record (Conf) | 25-11 (13-5 Southeastern) |
| No. 1 | NCAA tournament seed | No. 4 |
| 81.4 | Points per game | 90.7 |
| 49.6 | Field goal percentage | 47.7 |
| 36.7 | Three-point percentage | 36.5 |
| 74.2 | Free throw percentage | 78.4 |
| 38.5 | Rebounds per game | 39.6 |
| 18.5 | Assists per game | 16.1 |
| 9.8 | Turnovers per game | 12 |
| Tristen Newton - 15.0 ppg | Scoring leader | Mark Sears - 21.5 ppg |
| Tristen Newton - 6.1 apg | Assists leader | Aaron Estrada - 4.7 apg |
4:03 pm, April 1, 2024
📺 How to watch UConn vs. Alabama
Men's Final Four action begins Saturday, April 6 with No. 1 UConn vs. No. 4 Alabama in the semifinals. Here's how you can watch the Huskies take on the Crimson Tide.
- Time: 8:49 p.m. ET on Saturday, April 6
- Location: State FarmStadium -Glendale, AZ
- Stream: March Madness Live
- TV channel: TBS/TNT/truTV
- Location: State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona
3:11 pm, April 1, 2024
😤 How they got here
Every single bucket from UConn's incredible 30-0 run in the Elite Eight
UConn is back in the Final Four for the seventh time as the Huskies seek to their sixth national title. Alabama is in the national semifinals for the first time in program history.
Here's the path each team took to make it to the Final Four:
No. 1 UCONN | ROUND | NO. 4 ALABAMA |
|---|---|---|
| Def. No. 16 Stetson, 91-52 | First Round | Def. No. 13 Charleston, 109-96 |
| Def. No. 9 Northwestern, 75-58 | Second Round | Def. No. 12 Grand Canyon, 72-61 |
| Def. No. 5 San Diego St., 82-52 | Sweet 16 | Def. No. 1 UNC, 89-87 |
| Def. No. 3 Illinois, 77-52 | Elite Eight | Def. No. 6 Clemson 89-82 |
All 16 of Alabama's threes in Elite Eight win
