UConn Men's Basketball

Rapid Recap: UConn flies into the Final Four after dominating Illinois

By Aman Kidwai

March 30, 2024

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BOSTON – The UConn Huskies went to Donovan Clingan early and often and then put the clamps down on Illinois out of the halftime break, winning 77-52 as they advance to the Final Four for the second straight year and seventh time ever.

Early in the game, Hurley pulled Clingan out after his first foul, a move made out of an abundance of caution in a tight first half. While on the court, the Bristol big man was dominant on both ends, blocking far more shots than the three indicated on the stat sheet as he ended the first half with a +/- of +12.

The Huskies (35-3) led by five after a sluggish beginning where both high-powered offenses were held to under 35 percent shooting from the field in the first 20 minutes. UConn pulled away in the second half, holding Illinois without a point for the first eight minutes as Hurley’s squad completed a 30-0 run.

The Huskies’ transition game opened up and they kept pushing it to Clingan with success. Their deep reserves were on the court for the end of the game, a budding NCAA Tournament tradition.

Husky Nation was out in full force in Boston’s TD Garden as UConn faithful claimed “Storrs North” their own. They now face emerging questions about this team’s place in history as it stands two wins away from back-to-back championships.

Ian Bethune/The UConn Blog

UConn Notes

The Huskies are 5-1 in the national semifinals all-time.
UConn set the program record for wins in a season with 35. The previous mark of 34 was set in 1998-99 under Jim Calhoun.
The Huskies set a record with their 10th straight double-digit NCAA tournament victory, breaking the previous mark of nine by Michigan State from 2000-01.
UConn held Illinois to 23 points in the first half. The previous low for the Fighting Illini was 28 against Oakland on Nov. 10, 2023.
Dan Hurley is 10-2 at UConn in the NCAA Tournament.
Illinois’ Terrance Shannon, Jr. Shannon was held to a season-low eight points after averaging 28.3 points per game through the first three rounds.
Cam Spencer has hit double figures in every game of the tournament and 31 times overall this season. He notched his first career double-double.