NEW YORK – Freshman Jaylin Stewart’s second-half 3-pointer helped top-seeded UW defeat No. 3 Marquette 73-57 within the eighth Big East sport Saturday evening at a packed Madison Square Garden. – Won the event. .
No workforce led by greater than 4 factors till Stewart, who completed with 9 factors, made a nook 3-pointer halfway by way of the second half to provide University a five-point lead. He made two extra threes, scoring 9 straight UConn factors over the following 3 1/2 minutes and delivering the decisive blow that put the Huskies up by 11 factors.
“It’s each child’s dream to try this in a sport like that,” he mentioned. “I’m very completely satisfied and grateful to have the ability to try this.”
After that, Donovan Clingan grew to become a “clingy kong,” as teammate Alex Karaban places it, and have become an excessive amount of for the Golden Eagles.
The sophomore heart led his workforce in a hard-fought sport for a lot of the sport, posting monster performances of twenty-two factors and 16 rebounds. Clingan, who earned a spot on the All-Tournament workforce, grew to become the primary participant since Patrick Ewing in 1984 to report at the very least 20 factors and 15 rebounds in a title sport.
“Tonight I spotted I needed to assault the glass the most effective I might, and I attempted to be as robust as I might and end the contact,” the Bristol native mentioned. “I’m simply right here desirous to influence the sport in any approach I can, play my greatest protection and assist the workforce win.”
Tristen Newton, who was named the event’s Most Valuable Player, had 13 factors, 10 assists and 5 rebounds. Stewart and Hassan Diarra every completed with 9 factors off the bench.
UW (30-3) is 8-3 all-time within the championship sport and is tied with Georgetown for essentially the most Big East Tournament titles.
Head coach Dan Hurley can be the second participant (Seton Hall in 1993) to win the Big East Tournament as each a coach and a participant, together with Georgetown’s Ewing.
“It’s an honor to be part of this storied league, each as a participant and as a coach,” Hurley mentioned. “There’s nothing that compares to this when it comes to MSG, the Big East event, the convention event. There’s no comparability anyplace to what this place is like. With the coaches and gamers which have gained championships on this league. It feels nice to be a part of the historical past and custom collectively.”
This is UConn’s first Big East Tournament title since 2011.
Jaylin Stewart of the Connecticut Huskies reacts throughout the first half towards the Marquette Golden Eagles throughout the Big East Basketball Tournament finals at Madison Square Garden in New York City on March 16, 2024. #3 and Hassan Diarra #10. (Photo by Sarah Steer/Getty Images)
Both groups mixed for simply 1-of-17 begins from the sphere, and Marquette held a 2-0 lead till the primary 6:33.
After beginning the sport 0-for-8, UW scored its first rating on a Samson Johnson dunk at 13:27, tying the sport at 2 factors. Johnson took a handoff from Cam Spencer and threw it down once more eight minutes later to provide the Huskies a 14-12 lead.
Clingan had a double-double with 10 factors and 10 rebounds within the first half, a few of which had been because of his personal errors. Newton, the one Husky to make a 3-pointer within the first half, despatched Rockfight into halftime together with his second deep ball to provide University a 26-24 lead.
Clingan dunked Marquette’s Ben Gold and drew a foul six minutes into the second half. Then, after an Oso Ighodaro turnover (Marquette’s eighth of the sport), Stephon Castle hit a layup to provide University a 37-33 lead and power a Marquette timeout.
Connecticut Huskies coach Dan Hurley reacts throughout the first half of the Big East Basketball Tournament finals towards the Marquette Golden Eagles on March 16, 2024 at Madison Square Garden in New York City. do. (Photo by Sarah Steer/Getty Images)
Then it was time for Stewart to take over.
“He deserves each second proper now, he deserves all of the credit score. He deserves every thing as a result of he actually opened up the sport for us and received us on that run,” Alex Karaban mentioned. ” he mentioned. “I advised him, ‘You gained us this championship, and I’m so grateful for that.’
A 16-3 run, capped by a 3-pointer by Hassan Diarra, gave University a 16-point lead with lower than six minutes left. Clingan scored 5 straight UConn factors towards Marquette’s makes an attempt to shut the hole as time approached.
“Game 3, Day 3, we had been each championship packages and performed with a degree of desperation and urgency, however finally we had been capable of finding our rhythm and draw back,” Hurley mentioned. Ta. “I believe that’s what makes the workforce particular. In our state of affairs, a lot of the workforce – Cam has 4, Steph has six, Alex has six – however most of them had been late – nearly. Teams lose on nights like that, when three of their greatest gamers do not have a great offensive sport, and that is what makes this workforce particular.”
UW made 63 p.c of its pictures within the second half, making 5 of 13 from past the arc after taking pictures simply 30 p.c from the sphere and a couple of of 11 from deep within the first half. .
The Huskies misplaced to Houston and Purdue of their respective convention tournaments on Saturday, however will seemingly wait to listen to their identify known as because the No. 1 total seed on Sunday.
“We’ve achieved a whole lot of historic issues,” Hurley mentioned. “In the historical past of this system, we’ve by no means had a No. 1 total seed. This group seems prefer it’s making historical past in a spot the place it’s laborious to make historical past…convention common season What we did there and what we did on this event, I believe the convention event was the most effective factor that everybody did by way of these three elements of the season.
“We had been the most effective workforce in school basketball. Obviously subsequent week is March Madness and who is aware of what is going on to occur there, however we’re the most effective program within the nation this yr. it’s clear.”