As the final buzzer sounded on UConn’s fifth national title Monday night, Huskies center Adama Sanogo grabbed the basketball, looked upward and sreamed in celebration. It was the culmination of a dominant run through the NCAA Tournament, capped off Sanogo’s 17 points and 10 rebounds in a 76-59 victory over San Diego State at NRG Stadium in Houston. The Huskies’ bruising junior named the Final Four’s Most Outstanding Player and finished the tournament averaging 19.7 points per game.
Monday’s performance marked his fourth double-double of the Big Dance, but it came against his toughest test yet. San Diego State’s formidable front court presented a challenge unlike anything Sanogo had seen in the tournament. In the early going, Sanogo established himself against SDSU’s menacing defense by attacking Aztecs center Nathan Mensah without much trouble. Then, Sanogo’s layup with 7:12 remaining in the game halted a 9-0 San Diego State run and put the Huskies back up 58-50 after the momentum had begun to shift in the Aztecs’ favor.
Sanogo’s prolific NCAA Tournament run was made all the more impressive by the fact that he was observing Ramadan over the past two weeks, meaning he could not eat or drink from sunup until sundown. He looked strong as ever during the Final Four, however, first by helping the Huskies race past Miami on Saturday night and then by coming up clutch on the game’s ultimate stage Monday night.
He entered the game as just the seventh player since 1950 to average 20 or more points per game on 65% shooting entering an NCAA Tournament entering the title game. He will go down among the likes of Kemba Walker and Shabazz Napier in UConn lore for his performance in a title-winning season.
UConn 2023 Championship gear now available
The Connecticut Huskies have won their fifth men’s basketball national championship and the first since 2014. Celebrate this historic win at the end of a wild tournament with UConn Championship Gear. Get shirts, hats, and more here now.
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