On April 8, 2024, the UConn Huskies became back-to-back national champions after beating the Purdue Boilermakers 75-60. The matchup was highly anticipated as UConn came into the game with a record of (37-3) and Purdue (34-5). Furthermore, UConn’s legendary coach Dan Hurley and star guard Tristen Newton went up against Purdue’s very own 7’ 4” center, Zach Edey, who was named Naismith College’s Player of the Year.
By 6:20 pm, the crowd was roaring at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona. The game began as Purdue won the jump ball. One minute into the game, Trey Kaufman-Renn scored the first basket of the game putting Purdue up 2-0. The rest of the first half was a furious back-and-forth between the two teams with multiple ties and lead changes. By the end of the first half, UConn was up 36-30. Zach Edey led the charge for Purdue and had a huge first half, scoring 16 of Purdue’s 30 points. He also had a handful of blocks and rebounds. UConn’s points were spread out with multiple players having over five points by the end of the half.
Coming out of halftime, UConn locked down defensively by double-teaming Edey, forcing turnovers, and allowing them to convert points on offense. UConn began to pull away and did not allow Purdue to cut their lead in the slightest way. Towards the end of the game, Purdue put up a valiant effort to close the gap with a full-court press, but the UConn players stayed disciplined, allowing them to maintain the lead while running out the clock. Finally, the game ended 75-60, with UConn taking the win. As expected, Newton and Edey had an outstanding performance. Edey finished with 37 points and 10 rebounds, a double-double. Newton played amazing all around and ended with 20 points, five rebounds, and seven assists while taking home the title of Most Outstanding Player of the Final Four. With this win, UConn has six championships in their school history and is highly favored to be next year’s champions as well.
