BOSTON — Dan Hurley walked across midcourt with 3:33 left in the game, a final timeout giving him a moment to soak in the atmosphere of another March victory.
Turning towards the crowd on the other side of the court, he extended his arms wide, prompting the UConn fans at TD Garden to cheer loudly. “Our s—!” he exclaimed.
With a comfortable 29-point lead and time running out, Hurley could finally relax a bit.
“I finally felt like we had it,” Hurley said, with a smile on his face.
UConn, accustomed to celebrating at the end of games, is heading back to the Final Four for the second consecutive year. Once again, they did it convincingly, defeating third-seeded Illinois 77-52 in the Elite Eight, a game that wasn’t as close as the score suggests.
What started as a tight contest for the first half turned into a one-sided affair when UConn went on a 30-0 run, including scoring 25 consecutive points to begin the second half.
Donovan Clingan, UConn’s 7-foot-2 center, played a pivotal role in the victory, disrupting Illinois’ offense and dominating on the offensive end. Clingan recorded 22 points, 10 rebounds, five blocks, and three steals in just 22 minutes, but his impact went beyond the stat sheet with altered shots and crucial rebounds.
When Clingan was on the court, Illinois, known for their efficient offense, struggled to score.
In the first 17 minutes that Clingan played, UConn outscored Illinois 34-4. Yes, only four points.
Clingan’s defensive prowess was evident when he blocked Quincy Guerrier’s dunk attempt, followed by a powerful slam at the other end, prompting a timeout from Illinois.
DONOVAN CLINGAN IS ON FIRE 🔥#MarchMadness @UConnMBB pic.twitter.com/dPcKzvvrUn
— NCAA March Madness (@MarchMadnessMBB) March 30, 2024
“That was like, ‘whoa,'” guard Hassan Diarra recalled.
UConn’s path to the Final Four was marked by dominant performances, with an average margin of victory of 27.8 points in four games. Their 10 NCAA Tournament wins in the last two years have all been by double digits.
Illinois, known for their potent offense, was expected to challenge UConn but struggled against the Huskies’ elite defense. Connecticut, despite a low 3-point shooting performance and poor shooting from key guards, managed to contain Illinois’ top scorer and keep them scoreless for extended periods in both halves.
“When your defense is elite, which ours is, and your offense is elite, which ours is, and rebounding margins show that we’re an elite rebounding team and we generally play harder than our opponent, we share the ball and have depth with different people,” Hurley remarked. “Our first-team All-American point guard (Newton) didn’t make a field goal today, and we shot 3-for-17 from 3 and went on a 30-0 run. So the depth.
“We’re not flawed in any particular way, which makes you as bulletproof in this tournament as possible to survive bad shooting or a bad performance from a star like Tristan.”
Required reading
(Photo: Winslow Townson / USA Today)