Tradition and success are interwoven into the fabric of Connecticut basketball, especially over the past three decades as the program has ascended from a Big East powerhouse into a national one. Never has that been more apparent than this weekend in Houston as the Huskies – the lone familiar face on March Madness’ grand stage amid a sea of three first-time participants in the Final Four – seek out their fifth national title.
On the other end of the spectrum is Miami, a program that once had to restart its men’s basketball program in the mid-80’s but has thrived in the role of the underdog to reach historic heights the past two years. Head coach Jim Larrañaga knows plenty about upsets against UConn too, having knocked them off as part of George Mason’s historic run 17 years ago. These ‘Canes are far more talented though and capable of winning it all this year.
Follow our live updates and analysis from NRG Stadium below.
No. 5 Miami (Fla.) vs. No. 4 UConn
>>> HALFTIME ANALYSIS: UConn 37, Miami 24
UConn has won every game by 15-plus points in this tournament and may be on its way to doing it again after making its last three shots — including two 3s from Alex Karaban and Joey Calcaterra — to stretch the lead to 37-24 at the midway mark in Houston.
The Huskies were dominant for long stretches on both ends of the court in the first half. Adama Sanogo has a game-high 13 points and five boards to pace the Huskies and make up at least a little bit for guard Jordan Hawkins going in and out of the lineup while dealing with the stomach bug. UConn is 27-3 when leading at halftime and are just 20 minutes away from adding one more in the win column after shooting 50% from the field and getting the edge in the paint and on the boards.
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Meanwhile, Miami has struggled from the field and just had their lowest scoring first half of the season. Isaiah Wong’s late 3-pointer helped ensure things weren’t even worse, as the Hurricanes connected on just two of their last 14 shots from the field, much of which came with UConn’s trio of Sanogo/Hawkins and Andre Jackson Jr. on the bench. Still, the Hurricanes been here before, coming back from 14 down to beat Texas in the Midwest Regional final and perfectly capable of hitting shots to cut into the lead.
HALFTIME STAT TO KNOW
UConn is 27-3 this season when leading at half. Miami is 8-4 this season when trailing at half.
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>>> FIRST-HALF UPDATES
0:03 – UConn finished the first half in style with this picture-perfect buzzer-beater to extend its lead to 13 points, 37-24, at halftime.
4:17 – That perfectly-timed under-eight timeout may have been a masterclass in adjustments by Dan Hurley as UConn has regained control of this one and hit their largest lead of the night. The Huskies are on an 8-0 run over nearly four minutes and have held Miami to 0-of-8 from the field across this scoring drought. Adama Sanogo remains a burst of energy every time he’s on the floor and his game-high 13 points and five rebounds might even be underselling his impact. Big man Donovan Clingan has contributed some excellent minutes as well.
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4:19 – Denied! Nijel Pack drove to the hoop, but UConn center Donovan Clingan had other plans that didn’t involve Miami closing the gap.
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7:40 – Miami is just so tough, never rattled regardless what the score reads. They’re shooting just 30% for the game, but they’ve cut UConn’s lead to two by forcing turnovers and getting out on the break. Toss in keeping things even on the boards and Dan Hurley will need to make some adjustments of his own amid this little wobble by the Huskies.
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7:58 – In the blink of an eye, things were knotted up at 19-all, but UConn remained laser focused and quickly regained the lead late in the frame.
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10:21 – Miami continued to settle into a rhythm as the first half went on, closing the gap and shrinking UConn’s lead to three points with this monster dunk.
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11:20 – Despite falling behind early, the Canes had absolutely no quit in them. Exhibit A:
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11:41 – At the under 12 timeout, it’s pretty easy to find the difference in this one as UConn has gone 4-of-7 from 3-point range while forcing a tough shot at every turn on the other end. Miami has made just three baskets (3-of-15 shooting) and Jim Larrañaga has already subbed off big man Norchad Omier to create some better spacing — playing Jordan Miller at the five much like he did in the comeback over Texas back in Kansas City.
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13:47 – UConn extended its lead to double digits, 14-4, after a big 3-point splash from Huskies guard Tristen Newton.
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15:46 — There is still a long ways to go, but it seems like we’re bound to get a reference or two to Michael Jordan’s flu game from 26 years ago with UConn guard Jordan Hawkins battling a stomach bug before this Final Four game against Miami.
Hawkins kicked off the Huskies’ scoring with a 3-pointer on the first trip down the floor and seemed to still have plenty of burst in snagging a rebound. However, it’s the play of Adama Sanogo that has been the story early, coming into tonight without a single 3 in the tournament (and just one in the last 11 games), and knocking down both of his attempts from behind the arc. If he’s feeling his shot like that, this one could be a long night for the Hurricanes.
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16:56 – With momentum on their side, the Huskies quickly jumped out to a 9-0 lead, capped off by this 3-pointer from star forward Adama Sanogo. The 6-foot-9 big man is FOX Sports’ top player to watch in this Final Four.
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19:46 – Stomach bug? No problem! UConn’s Jordan Hawkins kicked off the scoring in this one, sinking a 3-pointer with ease to put the Huskies up 3-0 right out of the gate.
PREGAME SCENE
UConn standout Jordan Hawkins missed the team’s practice on Friday and was isolated from his teammates after dealing with an illness.
The sharp-shooting guard is expected to start for the Huskies tonight.
The UConn men’s basketball team travel with a poster board displaying the NCAA Tournament championship trophy, which serves as a reminder to the team what the ultimate goal is.
As the NCAA Tournament progressed and the Hurricanes kept winning, fans across the country began to take notice.
Miami senior Jordan Miller scored 27 points while shooting 100% from the field and connecting on 100% of his free throws in the Hurricanes’ Elite Eight win over Texas. He became the first player to accomplish such a feat since Christian Laettner did it for Duke in its 1992 Elite Eight game against the Kentucky Wildcats.
Laettner FaceTimed Miller to congratulate him on his accomplishment.
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