2023 NCAA Championship: UConn Huskies Defeat San Diego State Aztecs to Win Fifth National Title

• UConn defeated San Diego State in the 2023 NCAA Championship Game
• The Huskies made history with their dominant run in the tournament
• Adama Sanogo won the tournament's Most Outstanding Player award

The UConn Huskies have their fifth national championship.

They put an exclamation point on their dominant run in this year’s NCAA tournament, beating San Diego State 76-59 on Monday night.

Connecticut came so close to being the most dominant team in NCAA tournament history.

Dominant run by the Huskies

The Huskies came within nine points of the tournament record for point differential, per ESPN.

They recorded double-digit wins over Iona (24 points), St. Mary’s (15 points), Arkansas (23 points), Gonzaga (28 points), and Miami (13 points) before Monday’s showdown with the Aztecs.

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Their average winning margin of 20 points per game is the fourth-largest in the NCAA tournament since the field expanded to 64 teams in 1985.

They only trail the 1996 Kentucky team (21.5 points), 2016 Villanova (20.7 points), and 2009 North Carolina (20.2 points).

Huskies start strong

UConn played some outstanding defense in the first half, as San Diego State went without a field goal for over 11 minutes. The Huskies took full advantage as they carried a 36-24 advantage into the half-time break.

The Aztecs made things interesting in the second half, slicing the deficit to just five points with over five minutes remaining in the contest. However, UConn responded by unleashing a 9-0 blast to end San Diego State’s uprising.

Sanogo leads UConn to title

Three players scored in double figures for Uconn. Tristen Newton led the Huskies, registering a double-double with 19 points and 10 rebounds.

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Adama Sanogo also had a monster game, finishing with 17 points and 10 boards in the championship game.

He was named the Most Outstanding Player after averaging 19.7 points and 9.8 rebounds in six tournament games. He showed his dominance on both ends of the floor, recording four double-doubles and eight blocks.

Bulls rally past Grizzlies

The playoff race is also heating up in the NBA, with Sports Brief reported on the Bulls’ win over the Grizzlies.

Chicago battled back from a 23-point deficit to record a stunning 128-107 win over the team from Memphis.

Zach LaVine and DeMar DeRozan led the Chicago players, combining for 67 points in their team's win.