UConn’s bid for immortality was rejected on Monday night in Indy, with Alex Karaban and the Huskies falling to Michigan in the NCAA Men’s Basketball National Championship Game, 69-63, in a second half that saw them trail by as many as 11. Despite cutting the Wolverines lead to 4 inside the final minute, UConn fell short on a night it was plagued by 22 team fouls to Michigan’s 13.
UConn got off to a sluggish start on the boards against the big front line of Michigan, but battled to the tune of a 46-39 advantage on the glass, with 22 offensive rebounds in hand. Crashing the glass hard gave UConn a fighting chance, but the three-point shooting was a huge letdown in the second half, as the Huskies went 4-18 from deep against an unrelenting Michigan defense that ultimately willed Dusty May’s team to victory.
“We didn’t make enough shots,” Hurley said after the game. “But it’s hard to be upset with your team when they get 22 offensive rebounds against that team.. They fought so hard.”
Michigan was led by a resilient Elliot Cadeau, who consistently fought his way to the rack no matter who was guarding him. In particular, Cadeau thrived when the pace of play started to pick up in the second half, and found enough success against UConn’s defensive stoppers Silas Demary Jr. and Malachi Smith. The North Carolina transfer earned his flowers by virtue of scoring 19 points, thus garnering Final 4 Most Outstanding Player honors.
Michigan shot 2-15 from three, with an injured Yaxel Lendeborg grinding his way through 36 minutes of action. With little separating these teams from an aggression standpoint, Michigan showed its might with a 36-22 points in the paint advantage, 25-28 (89%) shooting from the free throw line, and intense interior defense on Tarris Reed led by Aday Mara.
Reed, who finished 4-12 from the field, saw his confidence take an early hit by missing two makeable shots over Mara in the opening stages of the first half. The former Michigan Wolverine ended his impressive tournament run with averages of 19.5 points and 13.1 rebounds as he’ll look to take his talents to the NBA next season.
In Alex Karaban’s final game as a Husky, the UConn legend went out with a line of 17 points and 11 rebounds, despite going 3-10 from deep. After Roddy Gayle missed a pair of free throws with 29 seconds left, Karaban couldn’t strike on the other end as his three-pointer hit the front of the rim and bounced away from making it a one-possession game late. Although he couldn’t knock down threes when he needed them, Karaban’s energy on both ends was impressive and helped prevent Michigan from running away when it threatened to.
“We gave it our all,” Karaban said. “I’m proud of the guys in the locker room and I’m proud of coach. Everything happens for a reason.”
In the postgame presser, Solo Ball was emotional talking about what this team means to him, and his experience playing alongside Karaban the past three years.
“Every single day he’s the same guy,” Solo Ball said of Karaban. “I’m gonna miss this guy so much. He’s deserving of everything coming his way.”
Ultimately in key moments down the stretch, UConn couldn’t capitalize due to a costly turnover or foul that stalled any slight jolt of momentum it had. One late sequence, in particular, stands out—a Tarris Reed steal and save near the Michigan baseline was followed by a missed lay-up for Solo Ball, which led to a Trey McKenney triple on the other end that made it a nine-point game with 1:50 remaining. Up to that point, McKenney was 1-8 from the field.
Michigan was the best team all year, and on a night where its offense was inconsistent, it more than made up for it on the defensive end. A lay-up from Lendeborg handed the Wolverines the lead for good at the 3:06 mark of the first half.
For now, the UConn dynasty is on hold. There’s no shame in a runner-up finish that involved plenty of March dramatics along the way. The best team won last night, with Michigan snapping its 37-year National Championship drought.
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