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Dan Hurley leads UConn back to National Championship game for 3rd time in 4 seasons
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- Dan Hurley leads UConn back to National Championship game for 3rd time in 4 seasons
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UConn basketball had head coach Dan Hurley walking in confidently before facing Illinois . His Huskies held off a feisty Illini team 71-62 Saturday to kick off Final Four weekend in Indianapolis. Plus add to a list of March Madness accolades for the program.
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Starting with sending UConn back to the national title game for the third time in four seasons.
Chris Vannini of The Athletic added another accolade that Hurley gets the Huskies to hit.
"UConn has won 19 straight games in the Sweet 16 or later, an unbelievable stat. The last such loss was the 2009 Final Four . They'll play for yet another national title," Vannini posted on the social media website X, formerly Twitter.
Connecticut needed to stave off a late rally. Illinois head coach Brad Underwood created a game plan that prevented multiple touches for Tarris Reed Jr.
The center and leading Huskies scorer went scoreless for most of the second half after dropping 11 by halftime. He managed to end with 17 points on 6-of-12 shooting.
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But Underwood's approach swung the door open for UConn's 3-point game. The Big East representative hit 12 from behind the arc, settling for 36.4% there. Hurley's defensive scheme bottled Illinois' long range game, holding the Illini to only 23.1% (hit just six threes).
Braylon Mullins added 15 points while Alex Karaban chipped in nine. Silas Demary Jr. and Jayden Ross added seven. Reed delivered the double-double by adding 11 rebounds.
Hurley sounded off that his Huskies are there to collect a championship banner , not a watch. He's now one win away from tying school legend Jim Calhoun for most men's basketball national titles in Storrs.
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Related: Brad Underwood couldn't be prouder of 2025-26 Illinois team despite loss to UConn
