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Matthew Adams
Managing Editor
Men and women’s NCAA championships presented college basketball’s top teams.
The men’s championship consisted of a team that is known for making appearances (University of Connecticut’s aka UConn) and a team who hasn’t made a championship at all (San Diego State).
This would be UConn’s fifth championship appearance with the prior championship being won in 2014.
With an unexpected championship matchup, viewers were not sure what to expect during this matchup.
To begin the first half the Huskies and the Aztecs were playing a tight game that would encompass back-and-forth buckets.
Not too long after the 11-minute mark the Huskies began to dial in on the game and score at will.
This would put Aztec fans in a state of unease because it would show how hard the Aztecs would have to play to win this game.
The Huskies’ lead would be credited to their first-half defense. The Huskies were able to grab steals that would end up being easy transition points.
These easy-point possessions and the Huskies’ great play would subside for over a minute with missed shots.
The lead would be carried from the 11-minute mark to the end of the quarter.
The first half of play was dominated by the Huskies with them having a 12-point lead. The score at the end of the first half was 24 to 36.
The Aztecs were in a hole from which they had the possibility to come back.
During the second half, the Aztecs were able to make it interesting
The start of the second half resembled the first half and this was concerning for Aztec fans. This would not last with the Aztecs cutting the lead down late in the second half to seven.
This sliver of hope would disappear for the Aztecs with the Huskies’ offense pushing the envelope on scoring.
Getting back to stellar play, the Huskies would rally to win the game in a blowout win. The end score was 79 to 56. The Huskies would win this game by simply making more shots.
The Huskies would shoot 23 for 53 from the field while the Aztecs would shoot 19 for 59.
In contrast to the Men’s championship, the women’s championship would garner massive attention with over 9 million viewers.
Two of the NCAA’s top scorers were going head-to-head with each other and left it all on the court.
Louisiana State and Iowa would reel in over 9.9 million viewers which would surpass other major sporting events such as the Super Bowl and the Men’s NCAA championship.
All eyes were on both teams and players had a nuanced understanding of that.
The Tigers would commence the first quarter with great offense and this would be a trend throughout the game.
Iowa would strive for a lead but LSU would make winning a championship inevitable. The remaining quarters would show the intensity that the Tigers were playing with.
Ajani Griffin a sophomore social work major from Chicago, Ill. felt pride in this win.
Griffin stated, “This was more than just a game it was a win for the culture.
Nick Buzzelli, Ph.D., a professor at High Point University was elated with win and felt a shift in society as a result.
Buzzelli stated, “I am excited to see where things head in terms of more people gravitating toward women’s basketball as an entertaining sport.”
LSU’s Jasmine Carson was a major contributor for the team’s win. She amassed 22 points with a 83 percent field goal percentage.
Even with great solo performance Jasmine’s 22 points were piled on top of all the other remaining stars on the team who were able drop shots.
Angel Reese was able to have great performance as well with a solid double-double.
Her stat line was helpful as well with 15 points, 10 rebounds, and 5 assists.
This loss was devastating to Iowa but they had players who showed their talents on the court.
Caitlyn Clark was one of those players and she had a stat line of 30 points, 2 rebounds, and 8 assists.
As NCAA basketball comes to a close on both ends, female players are looking forward to WNBA draft that looks to have some promising players join a team.
