NCAA Basketball: How UConn, Miami, FAU and San Diego State got to the Final 4

UConn has had dominant 2nd halves so far in the tournament

The West region featured the defending champs Kansas, UCLA, and Gonzaga ahead of them, but it was UConn who took home the title. The Huskies took out Iona, Saint Mary’s. Arkansas and Gonzaga on their way to Houston and it wasn’t particularly close. Dan Hurley’s squad ran roughshod over the region, winning the four games by an average of 22.5 points including a 28-point thumping of Gonzaga in the regional final.

It was how the Huskies were so dominating that was so impressive. Three of their four games so far in the tournament for the Huskies have been a tale of two games. In the first half of their games, their opponent would keep it close, and then coming out of halftime the Huskies would put the pedal to the floor and leave no doubt as to who would win the game.

In the opening round against Iona, they actually trailed at the half before outscoring the Gaels by 26 in the second half. In the next game against the other Gaels, Saint Mary’s, they led by two at the half and then finished the game going away by 15. Their Sweet Sixteen game against Arkansas would surely be tighter, right? On the contrary, the Huskies led by 17 at the half and outscored them by six more in the second half. The regional final against Gonzaga was set up to be a fantastic game, but UConn had other things in mind. Leading by seven at the half, they held a team that has averaged well over 80 points per game to just 22 in the second half to head to the Final Four going away.

Coming out of the locker room the Huskies have been nearly 17 points better than their opponents so far. Whatever Dan Hurley has been saying at the break should be bottled and sold because it has them as the betting favorite and two wins from the national championship.