No. 3 UConn is the defending men’s national champion. However, the Huskies had not won even a share of the Big East regular-season title in 18 years.
Donovan Clingan scored 19 points and pulled down 11 rebounds to lead a balanced attack and Connecticut clinched its first outright Big East championship in 25 years Sunday with a 91-61 rout of Seton Hall.
The team considered the achievement big enough to cut down the nets at Gampel Pavilion after the game.
“The hardest thing to do is to be excellent over the course of three, four months in a brutal, hard league,” coach Dan Hurley said.
Freshman Stephon Castle tied a career high with 21 points and Tristen Newton had 17 points and 10 assists for the Huskies (26-3, 16-2 Big East), who finished this season undefeated at home (16-0). Alex Karaban added 13 points.
Dre Davis had 20 points and Kadary Richmond scored 15 to lead Seton Hall (18-11, 11-7), which remains in fourth place in the Big East with the loss, a game ahead of Villanova.
UConn, which lost at Seton Hall by 15 points in December, shot 56% from the floor, outscored the Pirates 52-30 in the paint, outrebounded them 38-26 and scored 24 points off 11 Seton Hall turnovers.
“I feel like our defense really went to the next level,” said Clingan, who missed five games after suffering a right foot injury during the loss in New Jersey.
“Coach has really emphasized just trying to work on our defense, just trying to really guard the ball at a high level, rebound the ball at a high level.”
Davis had 12 points in the first 10 minutes and 16 points in the first half for Seton Hall. His 3-point play on a layup sparked a 7-0 run that gave the Pirates an 18-14 lead.
But UConn responded with a 15-2 run, highlighted by a steal and one of several highlight-reel dunks from Castle.
A floater in the lane from Karaban put the Huskies up by 15 points at intermission and the Huskies outscored Seton Hall 47-32 in the second half.
There including King it pretty good job getting King a little away nice you cutter slam upstairs Rising castle that’s what amazes amazes me their ability to find people you can’t bow swing it one-on-one with Beto and they they play him straight up kingan couldn’t finish it good Hustle by what a
Pass inside Caravan and it’s castle with the beautiful now settle in half court Newton four triple doubles at Yukon they get it inside and clinging finish it feed inside the Finish clinging he’s so good at that anticipates his timing impeccable freshman from Frederickburg Virginia steel castle inside for these
Opportunities the length of that pass no heat on it nobody stepping to the ball bring SE Hall Yukon can add to its lead lob it catch layup no tip in no tip in a third time is the charm for stops together seat in the hall Yukon one of eight from three-point
Territory look at that Banker Bingo for castle and a foul down the lane you can just see trailing boy you are in deep difficulty games they don’t shoot threes Bako erased by out High Newton feeds it turn around it goes for Castle fills up the now for
SE Hall nice fill Again by Castle in that lane Castle the pouette banker goes Stefon oh good another deflection up ahead Castle is going to take it himself Castle in the Sky for the Huskies and playing with into the system bring it all leave the chandeliers turn the corner swing swing caraban
Spin missed it cling in too easy to Perfection couple of they needed some points to go right to them down low Coleman High arker bangs off the back of the rim leak out they look for the break runs down the middle clinging with the jam car’s the Silent
Assassin just challenge that shot and goes right to the rim sneaks a peak right here how about caraban Chess diara takes it at the big castle flip gets the bounce they take care of business Yukon outright Big East regular season champions
3 Comments
Good video. My only comment is Castle did have one highlight reel drive and dunk in the half-court that was missing but appreciate the fast uploads as usual
🐺🐺🐐🐐 huskies
W