UConn clinches fifth national title in program history with 76-59 win over San Diego State

The 2023 NCAA tournament will conclude Monday with the national title game featuring the San Diego State Aztecs and the UConn Huskies. The Aztecs went through the South Region, knocking off No. 1 overall seed Alabama en route to the Final Four before advancing to the title game on buzzer-beater to defeat FAU Saturday. The Huskies cruised through the West region, taking down Arkansas and Gonzaga in commanding fashion before dispatching a high-powered Miami team Saturday.

The Huskies enter this game as 7.5-point favorites at DraftKings Sportsbook. The total comes in at 132. UConn is -350 on the moneyline, while San Diego State is +290. Here’s everything DK Nation has for you to get caught up on the action, with our spread, over/under and moneyline picks, the officiating crew for the game and NBA prospects who will be in action tonight.

Here we’ll have the latest updates, stats, highlights, video and odds information from the national title game between San Diego State and UConn.

San Diego State vs. UConn live updates

It’s all over! The UConn Huskies have won their fifth national title in school history, with all those championships happening since 1999. The Huskies defeat San Diego State 76-59. UConn -7.5 hits, along with all the alternate lines which had the Huskies winning big. The over on 131 connects, thanks to a flurry of baskets late and some free throws. UConn moneyline didn’t look to be in doubt for much of the game barring a short run from San Diego State.

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It’s a 12-point game with just under two minutes left, and the Huskies can smell another national title. The Aztecs made a nice run, but this is too much to overcome in the time frame given how poor San Diego State’s shooting has been in the last few minutes.

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At the under-4, the Huskies are up 63-55 courtesy of a huge triple from Hawkins to open up the lead again. The Aztecs have found their footing and need to convert more on the offensive end, but they have locked up defensively and are seriously pushing UConn. This has been the closest game the Huskies have been involved in during this tournament, so lets’s see if they can hold their nerve. The under on 131 looks solid, but the spread pick can go either way at -7.5.

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The Aztecs simply refuse to go away, cutting the deficit to six after a 9-0 run before UConn got a putback. It’s 58-50 Huskies at the under-8, but San Diego State is set to shoot some free throws. We’ve got a ballgame on our hands, which is how things should be in the final college hoops game of the season.

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At the under-12, the Huskies are up 49-36. Now is the time for San Diego State to make a real run to get back in this game. Every time it seems like the Aztecs have made a dent into the deficit, the Huskies find a way to hit a key shot or get a key stop. This feels like UConn’s championship to lose.

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We have gone under the 16-minute mark and UConn still leads, although San Diego has cut the deficit to 43-32. The Aztecs have gotten some better looks from the floor and are being more physical on the glass. The spread could go either way at -7.5, but the under seems to be locked in.

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This has been quite a sloppy game offensively, but the total sitting at 131 makes this one tough to predict. Right now, those who bet the under are likely feeling better. The Huskies lead the Aztecs 36-24 at halftime behind some strong defense and three-point shooting. San Diego State did trail FAU by 14 but this is a different animal. UConn -7.5 bettors are liking their chances of cashing that ticket right now.

The Aztecs shot 28% from the field, 27% from behind the arc and 71.4% from the line in the first half. This includes a 4-5 start. The Huskies shot 50% from the floor, 37.5% from deep and 75% from the line. They’re also leading the rebounding battle 20-17, which is key against San Diego State.

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The Huskies are starting to flex their championship muscle. The Aztecs eventually snapped a drought that lasted more than 11 minutes but UConn is creating live-ball turnovers and getting buckets in transition. More importantly, UConn is hitting triples at an incredible clip. The Huskies lead 36-20 and are showing no signs of letting up.

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UConn is up 22-12 at the under-8, so if you took the Huskies as the ATS pick you’re looking good right now. The total is probably going to go under 131 if the Aztecs keep failing to score. They’ve gone over eight minutes without a field goal.

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We’ve hit the under-12 and the Huskies are leading 14-10. San Diego State has gone cold from the floor, missing its last eight shots. UConn isn’t doing much better after a strong start but has found a way to lock in defensively and get some easy buckets off good ball movement. Sanogo’s size is starting to play a factor, although the Aztecs have held up fairly well so far defensively.

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Both teams are off to a strong start offensively, with San Diego State leading 10-8. The Aztecs have hit a couple triples as part of a 4-5 shooting start. The Huskies have also shot 4-5 from the floor.

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The starting 5 for SDSU: Matt Bradley, Darrion Trammell, Lamont Butler, Nathan Mensah and Keshad Johnson.

The starting 5 for UConn: Alex Karaban, Adama Sanogo, Jordan Hawkins, Tristen Newton and Andre Jackson Jr.

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One last check of the odds here at DraftKings Sportsbook before we get going. The line is still UConn -7.5 but the total has gone down to 131. The moneyline numbers have not changed either, with UConn still sitting at -350 and San Diego State sitting at +290.

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If you roll with Charles Barkley, you’re rolling with the Aztecs tonight. If you don’t want to take San Diego State on the moneyline, you can probably get them on an alternate line at plus money.

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Both teams have arrived at NRG Stadium in Houston, and one will be crowed a champion at the end of the night.