The San Diego State Aztecs and UConn Huskies are set to take on one another in Houston Monday night with the NCAA men’s basketball championship on the line.
San Diego State’s path to the national championship under head coach Brian Dutcher has been absolutely shocking. That included a win over the No. 1-ranked Alabama Crimson Tide in the Sweet 16. SDSU then took out Florida Atlantic in epic fashion in the Final 4 with a Lamont Butler game winner at the buzzer.
On the other hand, UConn won its first five NCAA Tournament games by an average of north of 20 points per outing. Dan Hurley’s squad has displayed downright dominance, including a 72-59 win over Miami (FL) in the Final 4. It’s a game that saw Adama Sanogo lead the charge with 21 points on 9-of-11 shooting.
Below, we will provide you with updates and highlights from Monday night’s national championship game inside NRG Stadium. Check out more information on the title game below the highlights, too.
Related: 2023 Men’s college basketball National Championship Game preview
UConn wins fifth NCAA title in 25 years
For the first time since 2014, UConn sits atop the college basketball world. It defeated San Diego State by the score of 76-59 to win the national championship. What a run from Dan Hurley’s squad.
UConn pulls away with Tristen Newton taking over
SDSU had pulled the game to within five points with just over 5:19 remaining in the second half. That’s when Newton took over. That included scoring four consecutive points to give the Huskies a 12-point lead. When Adama Sanogo nailed two free throws with 2:08 remaining to give UConn a 14-point lead, that was pretty much it.
San Diego State pulls to within six
Darrion Trammell made lay-up at the 7:37 minute mark in the second half pulled the Aztecs within six points. It concluded a 9-0 run, making this one a game.
Joey Calcaterra extends lead to 15 for the Huskies
It’s looking more and more like UConn will come away with the win and their first national title since back in 2014. Calcaterra made an emphatic statement by putting the Huskies up by 15 with under 10 minutes remaining.
Adam Seiko pulls San Diego State to within 10
If the Aztecs are to mount a comeback in the title game, they’ll need to start hitting from distance. Down 45-32 with just over 15 minutes remaining, Seiko did just that.
Alex Karaban puts Huskies up 13 early in second half
UConn forward Alex Karaban nailed his first three of the game with just under 18 minutes remaining in the second half to give the Huskies a 41-28 lead as the team continues to pull away from SDSU.
UConn coach Dan Hurley disappointed Huskies aren’t up by 20 at half
Despite having a mostly dominant first half on both ends of the floor, Huskies head coach Dan Hurley spoke to CBS’ Tracy Wolfson at halftime and said he’s “a little bit frustrated. We should probably be up 20. We missed three or four layups at the rim and we should be up 20.”
The Huskies were up by as many as 16 points in the first half but will instead take a 12-point lead into halftime with the score at 36-24.
Clingan making an impact on both ends for UConn
Already having one highlight play with an alley-oop finish earlier in the first half, later we saw Donovan Clingan use his large frame to contribute defensively as well, with a punishing block to prevent another bucket.
UConn toying with SDSU defense
Boasting a double-digit lead, the Huskies are just having fun at this point. Here we see the flashy pass behind the back from Andre Jackson Jr., setting up a wide-open three by Joey Calcaterra.
Huskies go on 14-2 scoring run
Here we have a textbook read and cut by UConn’s Jordan Hawkins. That’s how you get open, yet credit to Adama Sanogo for the crisp pass to set up what they made look like an easy hoop. It capped off a 14-2 run by the Huskies, who are building momentum as the Aztecs have gone over 10 minutes without scoring a field goal.
Donovan Clingan skies for the alley-oop
Freshman center Donovan Clingan stands at 7-foot-2, making him an ideal target for being on the receiving end of alley-oops, which is exactly what we saw during the first half. Good luck finding a more efficient shot than this.
UConn alum Kemba Walker is LOVING his Huskies’ effort early on
Before he became the ninth overall pick in 2011, Kemba Walker was a star point guard for the UConn Huskies. How can we ever forget his game-winning shot in the 2011 Big East tournament? While his National Championship win was over a decade ago now, Walker’s passion for Huskies basketball hasn’t diminished one bit.
That Sa-NO-go
Finally, some defense. Huskies star player Adama Sanogo showed off his ability to be an eraser in the paint, stopping the shot in its tracks.
Matt Bradley in his bag for Aztecs in first quarter
Not to be forgotten, San Diego State’s leading scorer Matt Bradley showed off his offensive arsenal with a smooth fadeaway to elude the defender in his grill.
SDSU’s Final Four hero Lamont Butler gets Aztecs on the board early
Lamont Butler, who had the game-winning shot in San Diego State’s Final Four battle with FAU, was the first to score for the Aztecs on Monday night. Like UConn, it came on their first possession of the game, but Butler’s came on a three-point shot instead, giving SDSU a quick lead.
Shortly after, Aztecs guard Darrion Trammell kept the party going with another three-point shot, this time from the corner, as SDSU gets off to a hot start from distance.
UConn’s Jordan Hawkins scores first points in 2023 NCAA Championship
It didn’t take long for the first bucket of the game, with Huskies guard Jordan Hawkins chipping in the first two points of the night on the opening possession just 25 seconds into the game.
The epic tipoff in Houston
Incredible camerawork here by the CBS Sports crew capturing the game’s tip-off, which was won by UConn.
Introducing your NCAA National Championship starters
As is customary, the San Diego State and UConn starters were announced prior to the game, with no surprises in the starting fives. After tonight, one of these groups will be National Champions.
NASA astronaut Tracy Dyson crushes National Anthem
With the NCAA men’s Final Four located in Houston, it gave NASA a chance to offer its talent. In this case, it came via astronaut Tracy Dyson singing the National Anthem prior to tip-off. Safe to say, all the players are likely ready for takeoff after that one.
Charles Barkley going with SDSU to win natty
Not that Pro Basketball Hall of Famer Charles Barkley is an expert or anything. But he’s riding with the Aztecs to upset UConn in the championship game.
SDSU head coach Brian Dutcher talks national championship game
Set to coach the most important game of his career, Dutcher knows that Connecticut is going to be a difficult matchup.
“We have our hands full tonight, but we’re up for the task,” the Aztecs head coach said.
Huskies legend at National Championship Game
Connecticut legend and former NBA star Kemba Walker is on hand for the national title game.
He won the National Championship with the Huskies back in 2011, earning the NCAA All-Tournament team in the process.
UConn vs. San Diego State National Championship Game information
- Time: 9:20 PM ET
- Television broadcast: CBS
- Point spread: UConn (-7.5)
UConn stat leaders
- PPG: Adama Sanogo (17.2)
- RPG: Adama Sanogo (7.6)
- APG: Tristen Newton (4.8)
- FG%: Donovan Clingan (.655)
- 3-point%: Joey Calcaterra (.440)
San Diego State stat leaders
- PPG: Matt Bradley (12.7)
- RPG: Nathan Mensah (5.9)
- APG: Lamont Butler (3.3)
- FG%: Aguek Arop (.593)
- 3-point%: Adam Seiko (.461)
UConn team stats
- PPG: 78.6 (30th)
- OPPG: 64.3 (34th)
San Diego State team stats
- PPG: 71.5 (183rd)
- OPPG: 63.1 (25th)
Things to watch for in National Championship Game
For all of the big shots, upset wins, last-second buzzer beaters and tears of the 2023 NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament, we have arrived at the last two teams standing.
It’s No. 4 UConn vs. No. 5 San Diego State facing off in the national championship game Monday night at Houston’s NRG Stadium. This is definitely not the matchup any of us anticipated when we started laying out our brackets.
But it’s the matchup we have.
More from Sportsnaut’s college basketball insider Terrance Harris right here.