NCAA Championship: SDSU's Late Rally Falls Short in Loss to UConn, 76-59

San Diego State University fell to the University of Connecticut 76-59 in the NCAA Men’s Basketball championship game, after the Aztecs attempt at a third-straight second half comeback fell just short. 

Trailing 56-41 with under 10 minutes to play, the Aztecs (32-7) went on a 14-4 run over the next five minutes to cut the Huskies lead to 60-55 with 5:19 left in the game. 

But Huskies star sophomore Jordan Hawkins hit a three pointer on the ensuing possession to start a 9-0 run that put the game out of reach. Fans that had packed Viejas Arena to watch the game on the JumboTron started to file out with 2:19 left. 

"They're the hottest team in college basketball," said SDSU head coachBrian Dutcher. "We thought we'd have a chance. We cut it to five, but obviously we didn't have enough offense to overcome as good as they are."   

Keshad Johnson led the Aztecs with 14 points, one of three players in double figures. Darrion Trammell and Lamont Butler each added 13 points. 

Senior guard Tristen Newton led the Huskies (31-8) with a game-high 19 points and 10 rebounds. 

Huskies forward Adama Sanogo, who was named the Final Four’s most outstanding player, added 17 points and 10 rebounds. Hawkins, considered by many to be a potential lottery pick, added 16 points. 

The Aztecs trailed the Huskies 36-24 at halftime, going ice cold after a hot start to the game. The team hit 4 of their first 6 field goals before missing 11 straight field goals and going on a 10-minute scoring drought. 

SDSU shot 32.2% from the field and 26.1% from three for the game. 

SDSU was seeking to win the first NCAA national championship in men’s basketball history and the second in the university’s Division 1 athletic history.

"Disappointed in the loss, but there was a brotherhood in that locker room that will never be divided by a margin of victory or not winning at all," said Dutcher. "That brotherhood will last a lifetime." 

The Aztecs, the fifth seed from the NCAA South Region, defeated College of Charleston, Furman University, the University of Alabama, Creighton University and Florida Atlantic University to advance to the championship matchup of the 68-team, three-week tournament.

"It's hard to win in March," said Dutcher. "Those teams are really good, too. But you have to get a little luck and get the right matchups and have to be playing your best."

The game capped a series of firsts for the men’s team during the tournament: the program made its first trip to the Elite 8, Final Four and title game after breaking through the Sweet 16 ceiling that had eluded them in two previous trips. 

But the Huskies, which had won their first five tournament games by an average of 20.6 points, won the program’s fifth national title. The Huskies men’s basketball program is undefeated in title games, winning in 1999, 2004, 2011 and 2014.

HALFTIME REPORT: 

NCAA Championship: SDSU Narrows UConn's Lead to Close the Half

San Diego State trails UConn 36-24 at the half of the NCAA Men’s Basketball National Championship game after the Aztecs offense went ice cold after a blistering start. 

Both the Aztecs and the Huskies started the game hot from the field, with SDSU connecting on 4 of their first 6 shots, and the Huskies 4 of their first five. 

But the Aztecs quickly went cold from the field, missing 11 straight field goals over a span of 10 minutes.

The, and the Huskies went on an extended 8-0 run to turn a 10-6 Aztecs lead into a 14-10 UConn advantage at the second media timeout. 

The Aztecs were able to hang close in the first half with their pressure defense forcing four early turnovers. 

But the Huskies extended the run to 16-2, taking a 22-12 lead before Matt Bradley was able to stop the run with a pair of free throws to cut the lead to 8.

From there, UConn dialed up pressure of their own, forcing multiple turnovers, and got hot from three, with Jordan Hawkins, Tristan Newton and Joey Calcaterra hitting three over a three-minute stretch to help the Huskies expand the lead to 16 at 36-20 with 2:55 left in the half. 

Darrion Trammell and Keshad Johnson, the lone bright spots for the Aztecs, hit jumpers in the final 90 seconds to trim the Huskies lead going into the half. Trammell led the team with 7 points, Johnson scored 6 points. 

The Aztecs shot 28.6% from the field and 27.3% from three en route to one of the lowest-scoring first halves in recent NCAA championship game history.

Newton, a senior, led a balanced Huskies effort with 9 points. All eight UConn players who played scored for the Huskies.