UConn Huskies 8th Big East Title
Photo: Anthony Austin – NY Beacon/
On The Scene Sports
By Shara Talia Taylor
The University of Connecticut Huskies claimed their eighth Big East Men’s Basketball Tournament crown, the first since 2011, after a 73-57 win over the Marquette University’s Golden Eagles last Saturday night at Madison Square Garden.
UConn and Marquette were slow scoring in a close match to start the game, but both teams picked up speed in the second half with Connecticut pushing ahead. The game wrapped up with the Huskies landing more shots than the Golden Eagles as Tristen Newton and Jaylin Stewart led the pack from behind the arc and 7-foot-2 Donovan Clingan from inside the paint.
“We stand for how hard we work, how we’re about winning, the personal development as men,” said Huskies head coach Dan Hurley about why they are having a great year. “We run an old-school program with a real culture, and you can see it by how unselfish this group is in a game on a night where we didn’t shoot the ball that great, especially in the first half.
Marquette was on the scoreboard first with a jumper from Oso Ighodaro. Time passed and about 13:27 minutes remained when Samson Johnson’s dunk tied the score at two. Teams were tied at four with about 12:00 minutes left in the half. Was it nerves or tiredness after a week of back-to-back games?
“We weren’t really nervous,” said Newton. “It’s just the shot wasn’t falling and we got to the huddle and we knew — Coach did a good job of telling us we were doing a great job on defense.”
“We just try to play the best defense possible and not let the up-and-down game happen,” Clingan said.
UConn was ahead 26-24 at halftime. It was a close game to start the second half as teams matched each other shot for shot. A 3-pointer by Newton brought the score to 47-41 as Huskies increased their lead. Connecticut was ahead the remainder of the game.
Clingan led the Huskies with 22 points and 16 rebounds. He was noted as the first player in tournament history, since Patrick Ewing in 1984, to make at least 20 points and 15 rebounds in the title game. “To have my name against someone who played-who’s a legend really in basketball, in college basketball and even at the next level means a lot,” Clingan said.
Newton added 13 points and 10 assists earning the Dave Gavitt Trophy as the Most Outstanding Player in the tournament. “It feels great,” he said. “Credit to my teammates for being in the right spots, helping me out, boxing people out so I can get rebounds, (and) finishing my passes to them.”
“I thought our guys had phenomenal fight, went toe to toe with a team that’s probably played better than anyone in college basketball,” said Coach Shaka Smart following the match. “I thought we ran out of steam there probably in the last 10 minutes. Donovan Clingan was the biggest difference.”
Kam Jones led the Golden Eagles with 13 points, eight rebounds and four assists. Ighodaro also led with four assists and added eight points and two steals. Joplin finished with 12 points and six rebounds.
“Today was rough for sure, but if we get the opportunity, like Coach said earlier in the locker room, we’ve got a great team, and we’ve got a great chance to play well in the (NCAA) tournament, and that’s all you need is a chance,” Joplin said about getting a fresh start.
The Huskies defeated San Diego State in 2023 to win their fifth national championship. UConn claimed the No. 1 overall seed on Selection Sunday and moved ahead with hopes to repeat the victory in the NCAA Tournament.
