It wasn't meant to be for Purdue Monday night in Glendale. After a Braden Smith three-pointer cut the UConn lead to 32-30 with 2:22 left in the first half the Huskies showed why they have been so dominant in the NCAA Tournament over the last two seasons. The Huskies outscored Purdue 43-30 from that point forward and never allowed a run bigger than 5-0 all game long.

UConn's defense was just too dominant on the evening, as it held Purdue to its lowest offensive total of the season to repeat as national champions. With the three-point shot being such a big part of the Purdue offense UConn's ability to defend the perimeter while challenging Zach Edey inside meant Purdue never got fully in sync offensively. The Boilermakers attempted only seven three-pointers against the stout perimeter defense as UConn won its 12th straight NCAA Tournament game by at least 13 points.

When combined with UConn's 35-28 edge in rebounding it made it a very tough night for Purdue.

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