STORRS, Conn. — No. 3 UConn is the defending males’s basketball nationwide champion. Nevertheless, the Huskies had not received even a share of the Huge East regular-season title in 18 years.
Donovan Clingan scored 19 factors and pulled down 11 rebounds to guide a balanced assault, and Connecticut clinched its first outright Huge East championship in 25 years Sunday with a 91-61 rout of Seton Corridor.
The workforce thought-about the achievement sufficiently big to chop down the nets at Gampel Pavilion after the sport.
“The toughest factor to do is to be glorious over the course of three, 4 months in a brutal, exhausting league,” mentioned UConn coach Dan Hurley, who performed at Seton Corridor.
Freshman Stephon Fortress tied a profession excessive with 21 factors and Tristen Newton had 17 factors and 10 assists for the Huskies (26-3, 16-2 Huge East), who completed this season undefeated at dwelling (16-0). Alex Karaban added 13 factors.
Dre Davis had 20 factors and Kadary Richmond scored 15 to guide Seton Corridor (18-11, 11-7), which stays in fourth place within the Huge East with the loss, a sport forward of Villanova.
UConn, which misplaced at Seton Corridor by 15 factors in December, shot 56% from the ground, outscored the Pirates 52-30 within the paint, outrebounded them 38-26 and scored 24 factors off 11 Seton Corridor turnovers.
“I really feel like our protection actually went to the subsequent degree,” mentioned Clingan, who missed 5 video games after struggling a proper foot harm throughout the loss in New Jersey. “Coach has actually emphasised simply attempting to work on our protection, simply attempting to actually guard the ball at a excessive degree, rebound the ball at a excessive degree.”
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Davis had 12 factors within the first 10 minutes and 16 factors within the first half for Seton Corridor. His three-point play on a layup sparked a 7-0 run that gave the Pirates an 18-14 lead.
However UConn responded with a 15-2 run, highlighted by a steal and one among a number of highlight-reel dunks from Fortress.
A floater within the lane from Karaban put the Huskies up by 15 factors at intermission and the Huskies outscored Seton Corridor 47-32 within the second half.
The Huskies beforehand received all of their regular-season dwelling video games again in 2005-06, once they completed 16-0 within the league. That was the identical season this system received a share of its most up-to-date Huge East regular-season title.
“We really feel it is tougher to win the Huge East than the nationwide championship,” Newton mentioned.
The Pirates, picked to complete ninth within the convention’s preseason ballot, stay on the bubble for an NCAA match berth, but it surely was a troublesome week. In accordance with ESPN Stats & Info analysis, Seton Corridor authored consecutive losses by 20-plus factors for first time since 2008-09, having misplaced by 21 at No. 12 Creighton on Wednesday.
Pirates coach Shaheen Holloway didn’t communicate with reporters or make his gamers obtainable after the sport. They entered Sunday as one among Joe Lunardi’s final 4 groups within the match.
The Related Press contributed to this report.
