UConn’s Tarris Reed Jr. (5) grabs a rebound as Michigan’s Elliot Cadeau (3) falls and UConn’s Silas Demary Jr. (2) and Michigan’s Morez Johnson Jr. (21) watch in the course of the second half of the NCAA faculty basketball event nationwide championship sport on the Final Four, Monday, April 6, 2026, in Indianapolis. (AP Photo/Michael Conroy)
INDIANAPOLIS — High-scoring Michigan needed to get down and soiled to dig out the nationwide title Monday, making solely two 3-pointers all night time however nonetheless muscling its option to a 69-63 victory over stingy, cussed UConn.
Elliot Cadeau led the Wolverines with 19 factors, together with the crew’s first 3, which got here 7:04 into the second half. The second, from freshman Trey McKenney, got here with 1:50 left and felt like a dagger, giving the Wolverines a nine-point lead.
To nobody’s shock, UConn fought to the end — Solo Ball banked in a 3 to chop it to 4 with 37 seconds left — and after two missed free throws, UConn’s Alex Karaban (17 factors) barely grazed the rim on a 3 that will’ve reduce the deficit to 1 with 17 seconds left.
Not till McKenney sank two free throws to convey Michigan’s taking pictures from the road to 25 for 28 for the night time may the Wolverines (37-3) kick off the celebration for this system’s second title — the opposite coming in 1989.
But this sport had a Nineteen Fifties really feel to it.
Michigan needed to struggle for the whole lot. The Wolverines missed their first 11 pictures from 3, completed 2 for 15 from there and received regardless of the struggles of their finest participant, Yaxel Lendeborg. Ailing with a damage knee and foot that stored him from elevating, the graduate switch from UAB completed with 13 factors on 4-of-13 taking pictures.
Truth be instructed, it wasn’t anybody’s prettiest night time.
UConn’s hopes at turning into the first crew since John Wooden’s UCLA dynasty to win three titles in 4 seasons got here up brief, completed in by large foul hassle and its personal horrible taking pictures.
Coach Dan Hurley’s crew shot 30.9% from the ground and missed its first 11 pictures from 3 within the second half.
Braylon Mullins, the hero of the Duke win that put UConn within the Final Four, completed 4 of 17, although he made a pair of late 3s that stored the sport in attain.
UConn (35-5) coated the 6 1/2-point unfold, and Hurley stored his gamers out on the court docket to look at the rostrum get arrange for the presentation of a trophy heading to not Storrs, however Ann Arbor.
About the one comfort: The Huskies clogged issues up, slowed issues down and made Michigan beat them at their sport.
The Wolverines got here in because the first crew to crack 90 factors in 5 straight high-flying event blowouts. They didn’t hit 70 on this one however, in virtually each means, it was the prettiest of all of them — the one that offers them what even Michigan’s most well-known groups, the Fab Five, couldn’t handle — specifically, a natty.