BOSTON – Tristen Newton and the UConn Huskies grabbed a 77-52 win over Illinois in the Elite Eight round of the NCAA Tournament at the TD Garden on Saturday.
With the win, Newton and UConn are back in the Final Four for the second straight year. This is the first time in program history the Huskies will play in back-to-back Final Fours.
So far in Newton’s time at UConn, the Huskies are 10-0 in NCAA Tournament games. All ten NCAA Tournament games have been won by double-figures – the longest-such streak in tournament history.
Newton had an off-shooting outing in UConn’s win over Illinois. Newton went 0-of-6 from the floor. All five of his points in the contest came from made free throws as he knocked down 5-of-6 shots at the charity stripe. Newton finished the day with five points, three rebounds, and five assists.
Donovan Clingan was UConn’s leading scorer in the contest as he scored 22 points on 9-of-13 shooting from the floor. Cam Spencer and Hassan Diarra each had 11 points. Alex Karaban and Samson Johnson each had 10 points.
After entering the locker room at halftime with a 28-23 lead, UConn opened up the second half with a 25-0 explosion, part of a 30-0 overall run to put the game away.
Newton and UConn are now one step closer to defending its national championship. UConn will face off against Alabama in the Final Four at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona next Saturday.
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