Connecticut Shuts Down Butler for Title

53, 41

HOUSTON- In certainly wasn't pretty, but the Connecticut Huskies will take it. In a defensive struggle for the ages, UConn wins its third national championship by beating the Butler Bulldogs 53-41 at Reliant Stadium.

The Huskies' size defensive effort and Butler's offensive woes made for the worst shooting performance in NCAA championship history, as Butler made an embarrassing 12 of 64 shots to finish shooting 18.8% for the game, breaking a record for futility that had stood since 1941. The Bulldogs finished with just 19 points in the second half, as UConn's length on the inside (Huskies had 10 blocks) and quickness on the perimeter thorough frustrated Butler, as their leading scorers Shelvin Mack and Matt Howard combined to shoot 5 of 28.

As bad as their offense was in the game, don't knock Butler for not playing hard. Leading 22-19 at halftime, the Bulldogs' defense did not let up until late in the game when they had to gamble for steals. Star point guard Kemba Walker was held to just 16 points on 5 for 19 shooting. The Huskies made just one three pointer in the game. However, the impact guard Jeremy Lamb and center Alex Oriakhi made in the game, with the latter scoring 11 points, grabbing 11 rebounds, and blocking 4 shots, along with Butler's incompetent shooting helped UConn grab control of the game in the second half. When it was all over, the Huskies had won their unprecedented 11th straight tournament game to end the season with the championship trophy.

"You see the tears on my face," Walker said. "I have so much joy in me, it's unreal. It's surreal. I'm so happy right now."