The 2022 final between North Carolina and Kansas had offered a breathless match to the finish epic, since the Jayhawks had made up for a deficit of 15 points in the second half to win the title at the end of the effort.
A year later, we had the right to an antithesis of this final for half an hour… before believing in the same scenario as last year. Because throughout the first half and the first ten minutes of the second, it was an almost one-sided match, or almost, which we witnessed.
Against a team of San Diego State completely extinguished and absent in attack, like this horrible 29% on shots in the first period (9 ball losses for… 2 assists), Connecticut did indeed wander at first, notably offering up to 15 points in advance before joining the locker room at +12 (36-24). A gap that even rose to +16 a few minutes after the start of the second half, when the carrots seemed to be cooked for good…
But the “March madness” always kicks in at some point or another, and that’s when the Aztecs, a dozen minutes from the end, woke up furiously, finally finding serenity in defense and of the address in attack, under the impetus in particular of Lamont Butler (13 points, 4 rebounds and 2 assists) to pick up at -5 five minutes from the end (60-55)!
A reaction of champions
The Californians’ “momentum” was short-lived, however, as Dan Hurley’s troupe, through the intermediary of Jordan Hawkins (16 points at 5/9 on shots) and above all a huge Tristen Newton (19 points, 10 rebounds, 4 rebounds and 2 assists) had no trouble putting out the fire in the “money-time” to again comfortably increase their lead, and finally win by 17 points, the most big gap of the match (76-59)!
Very largely favorites on paper before the meeting, the Huskies, as in their five previous outings (average difference of 20.6 points), thus once again dominated their subject, not without a little turbulence at the end of the game, punctuating with a national title, a course that will certainly be remembered as one of the most dominant in history in “March Madness”. It is also the first time in history that a team has won its six games in the tournament with a difference of 13 points or more each time!
These Huskies were simply above the lot in this 2023 edition, and their title, the fifth in as many finals, is therefore well deserved. On the Aztec side, there will inevitably be a lot of bitterness over the next few hours, but this defeat on the top step should not make us forget their magnificent journey in this “March Madness”, of which they can be proud.
See you in seven months, NCAA!
