BOSTON — Scoring thirty points in a row – that’s a impressive streak.
The series of wins that UConn is achieving this March is also quite remarkable.
The defending NCAA champions scored 30 consecutive points to secure their return to the Final Four, dominating Illinois 77-52 on Saturday night — marking their record 10th consecutive double-digit victory during March Madness.
Donovan Clingan scored 22 points, grabbed 10 rebounds, and blocked five shots for UConn, which surged ahead by scoring the first 25 points of the second half. The Huskies, who easily won their fifth national title last year, appear to be on an inevitable path to a sixth: Their NCAA Tournament victories this year have been by 39, 17, 30, and 25 points.
Actor Bill Murray, with his son Luke serving as a Huskies assistant coach, observed the game from a prime seat and captured the postgame celebration on video, during which his grandchildren were showered with confetti. “Curb Your Enthusiasm” star Larry David was also among the spectators in a crowd the Huskies referred to as “Storrs North” for the East Region games played about 90 miles from campus.
UConn, which triumphed in the Big East Tournament at Madison Square Garden and progressed to the Sweet 16 in Brooklyn, will now take a flight for the first time in nearly a month to head to the Final Four in Glendale, Arizona. They will face the West Region champion, either Alabama or Clemson.
The Huskies are the first defending champions to make it back to the national semifinals since Florida won back-to-back titles in 2006 and ’07.
This remains a possibility for UConn as well.
“It’s not really about aiming for a sixth win or going back-to-back,” indicated coach Dan Hurley. “It's about this time of year, when you love your team and can't bear the thought of not getting up the next day and coaching your team. It's about the lessons learned from winning the way we have. It truly is about the work, the journey, the process.”
Marcus Domask scored 17 points — 15 in the first half — for Illinois (29-9), and star Terrence Shannon Jr. was limited to eight points on 2-of-12 shooting. Shannon, who scored 29 points in Thursday night’s Sweet 16 victory over Iowa State and played much of the season while facing a rape charge in Kansas, ended a streak of 41 consecutive games with double-digit scoring.
Cam Spencer contributed 11 points and 12 rebounds for UConn, which reached the Elite Eight with a 30-point win over San Diego State on Thursday night. Hassan Diarra scored 11, and Alex Karaban notched 10 points for the Huskies.
However, the main issue for third-seeded Illinois was the 7-foot-2 Clingan.
The Fighting Illini (29-9) only managed to score four points in the first half when Clingan was on the court, with the Connecticut native accumulating nine points, six rebounds, and three blocks before the break.
UConn was ahead 28-23 at halftime, but things took a turn for the worse for the Illini. They missed their first 14 shots of the second half — a total of 17 consecutive misses. The 30-0 UConn run lasted from the last 1:49 of the first half to the first 7:19 of the second.
By the time Clingan took a break with 14:35 left to play, the Huskies were leading by 23. On the subsequent Illinois possession, Samson Johnson — who had replaced Clingan — blocked Shannon under the basket and completed the fast break at the opposite end with a layup, leading UConn to a 48-23 advantage.
"I didn’t anticipate that. But UConn deserves a lot of credit," said Illinois coach Brad Underwood. "I thought we were in a good position at half, especially after the slow start. … We clearly struggled in the second half."
The Huskies have achieved a school-record 35 victories this season.
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Neither of the potential opponents for the Huskies — fourth-seeded Alabama or sixth-seeded Clemson — has ever reached the Final Four.
