UConn Basketball: 3 keys for Huskies to defeat Alabama in Final Four matchup
By John Makuch
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2. Put that same pressure they put on Illinois
And that pressure is more crucial than ever against a tough and tested SEC opponent in the Crimson Tide. That second half was one of the most unique ways for a basketball game to unfold, let alone an Elite Eight battle. The Huskies went from a 28-23 first-half score to winning the second half 49-29. Their 30-0 run has now become iconic, and it made the rest of the country wonder if this team was able to be stopped.
A lot of this had to do with the defensive play of Donovan Clingan, who has been an intense rim protector as well as a much more dominant scoring option. He dealt with injury earlier in the year, but now he has been more than ready to have a similar run that Adama Sanogo had just last year.
Defensively is where the Huskies made their money, holding Illinois to 25.4 percent from the field is a wild thing to look at considering the stakes, but then again this is UConn, and they have done that to just about every team in the nation this season.
UConn seems like they actually take some time to settle in and dominate, so the Crimson Tide may have a chance in the first half to get out to an early lead before the second-half adjustments. While it was figured the Huskies were going to win, the margin of victory was the shocking part, and that all came in the second half. But there is still a glaring hole in their game that may be an issue.