RALEIGH, N.C. — The bid for a three-peat is alive and intact.
For the second.
UConn, the two-time reigning NCAA champions who’ve endured a season of angst, survived Oklahoma, 67-59, in a tense first-round recreation Friday evening on the Lenovo Heart.
The victory was UConn’s thirteenth consecutive win within the NCAA Match spanning the previous three seasons.
reacts through the second half within the first spherical of the
NCAA Males’s Basketball Match in opposition to the
Oklahoma Sooners at Lenovo Heart on March 21, 2025 in Raleigh,
North Carolina. Getty Photos
“The championship pedigree, it’s nonetheless there for us,’’ coach Danny Hurley stated. “There’s perception within the UConn jersey at the moment of 12 months with the historical past of success. Any person’s going to need to put us down on this event for us to go away.
“I feel we’re a harmful group as a result of most individuals picked us, I feel, to lose the primary recreation. And I don’t assume many individuals will give us a shot in the second.’’
Need to tune into as a lot March Insanity as you’ll be able to? DIRECTV Stream and Hulu + Dwell TV each have you ever coated with each channel you’ll want, plus free trials.
Certainly, the diploma of issue now ratchets up for UConn, with No. 1 seed Florida standing in the way in which of historical past.
The Huskies (24-10) and Gators (31-4) play one another at 12:10 p.m. Sunday on the Lenovo heart for a spot within the Candy 16.
“The one three groups which were in a position to (win back-to-back titles) because the event expanded are us, Duke, and Florida,’’ Hurley stated. “There’s lots of honor in us having the ability to face the final group that went back-to-back (Florida in 2006-07).’’
Florida completely annihilated Norfolk State, 95-69, in Friday’s first night recreation at Lenovo.
The Gators, led by Walter Clayton Jr., a future NBA star who led all scorers with 23 factors, is a beast, an offensive powerhouse.
Regardless that UConn held the lead for 38 minutes within the recreation in comparison with simply 17 seconds for Oklahoma, the stress stage on Friday was very a lot on-brand with the angst the Huskies have lived with all season.
Oklahoma took just one lead within the recreation, 47-46, on a basket by Bronx native Mohamed Wague with 9:03 remaining.
The Sooners had the sport tied solely as soon as as effectively, 54-54, with 5:57 remaining.
It took some late heroics by Alex Karaban, the one returning starter from final 12 months’s Huskies group.
He hit an enormous 3-pointer to present UConn a 60-56 lead with 3:35 remaining, after which he made a runner for a 64-58 lead with 2:15 remaining.
“I simply noticed I used to be broad open,’’ Karaban stated. “I’d handed [a shot] up within the nook a little bit earlier that I ought to have shot and I wasn’t going to make that mistake once more. I noticed it and simply needed to let it fly.’’
Hurley, after Karaban handed up that shot he referenced, had a phrase with him.
What did he say?
“Shoot the f’ing ball,’’ Hurley stated.
Hurley known as the stress of this recreation “a microcosm of the season.’’
“However the factor about this group is we’re actually battle-tested, and we’ve needed to battle so onerous all 12 months,’’ he stated. “We confirmed lots of toughness down the stretch to execute some issues and make some vital pictures and make some vital stops.
“However yeah,’’ Hurley went on, “there was lots of struggling happening.’’
If UConn goes to outlive and advance to the Candy 16, goes to must be rather more fluid offensively than it was Friday evening.
Huskies ahead Liam McNeeley, one among their prime offensive threats who averages 14.5 factors per recreation, struggled, scoring eight factors on 2-of-13 capturing. Hassan Diarra was 1-of-6 from the sphere and completed with 4 factors.
UConn acquired an enormous recreation off the bench from Tarris Reed Jr., who scored 12 factors on 6-of-8 from the sphere in his first NCAA Match recreation.
UConn outscored Oklahoma 20-7 in bench factors.
UConn, which has struggled defensively this season, held Oklahoma to 32.1 % from the sphere, together with simply 17.6-percent from 3-point vary.
Oklahoma’s main scorer was Jeremiah Fears, a future NBA star, however Fears was 5-of-14 from the sphere.
“As a lot as our protection has [struggled] lots all year long,’’ Hurley stated, “It superior us at present.’’
So, for a minimum of one other day, UConn powers on with its pursuit of historical past.
