UConn defeats San Diego State in March Madness, win their fifth national title

The University of Connecticut men's basketball team brought home another NCAA national championship trophy this year, defeating the San Diego State University Aztecs 76-59 on April 3. 

On paper, the Huskies already had an advantage over the Aztecs. They were a higher seed number – UConn was seed number four, San Diego State was seed number five – and, unlike the Aztecs, were never considered underdogs at the tournament. 

Doug Kezirian, a ESPN Sports Betting Insider, wrote for ESPN on April 1, "Throughout this NCAA tournament full of historic upsets and unpredictability, UConn has been the lone contender and blue blood to survive the carnage and reach the Final Four." 

And this was a shared mindset throughout the United States. Analysts, coaches, players and fans seemed to come to a consensus that UConn would be taking home the trophy.But San  Diego State didn't make it that easy for the favorites.  

The teams were very even in the first half of the game. Each time the Huskies scored, the Aztecs responded. UConn led by only five points – 40-35 – when the halftime buzzer sounded. 

And though the odds were stacked against them, San Diego State refused to give up. UConn led by 15 points with just under 10 minutes left in the game, but two minutes later, that lead was cut down to six points. 

Tristen Newton and Jordan Hawkins then took over the game for the Huskies, each player making clutch shots to fend off the Aztecs. Newton finished the game with 19 points and Hawkins scored 16 points. 

The momentum created by these star players helped UConn extend their lead and secure a 76-59 win over San Diego State. More importantly, though, the win signified another national championship title. 

In addition to the 2023 title, the Huskies are also the winners of the 1999, 2004, 2011 and 2014 national championships. More impressively, though, UConn is 5-0 in the March Madness Championships. Every time they've made it, they've won it.

The Aztecs were close to breaking this streak, though. Despite facing a heartbreaking loss to UConn, saying their season was successful is an understatement. 

The underdogs were arguably responsible for the biggest upset of the tournament when they defeated Alabama, the number one seed, to advance to the elite eight. Shock emerged again when they defeated Creighton, one of the favorites in the tournament. And finally, no one expected the Aztecs to put up such a fight against the Huskies. 

This year's March Madness tournament was filled with countless surprises and upsets, but ultimately the UConn Huskies came out victorious. 

Will UConn's perfect record in the national championship finals endure, or will a mystery team bring their streak to an end? There lies the beauty of sports. Only time will tell.