San Diego State guard Adam Seiko (2) and Connecticut forward Adama Sanogo (21) reach for a rebound during the first half of the men’s national championship game in the NCAA Tournament on Monday in Houston.
AP photo
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HOUSTON — Adama Sanogo stood on the sideline watching his UConn teammates dribble out the final seconds that secured the program’s fifth NCAA championship. He looked eager, ready to sprint in at the first chance.
When the horn sounded, reserve Andrew Hurley used both hands to spike the basketball near midcourt and start the celebration — only to see Sanogo run straight in and secure it.
It was fitting for the first souvenir to go to the big man who had been the rugged interior presence all season for the Huskies.
Sanogo finished with 17 points and 10 rebounds in Monday night’s 76-59 win against San Diego State in the national title game. The 6-foot-9, 245-pound big man from Mali was named the Most Outstanding Player of the Final Four after tallying his fourth double-double in six tournament games, making him the centerpiece of the Huskies’ dominant run to title No. 5 — just as he had been all season, really.
After coming into the game averaging team-highs of 17.2 points and 7.6 rebounds, he was efficient, going 5 for 9 from the field and 7 for 8 from the foul line. He was active, with five of his rebounds coming on the offensive glass. And it all came from a player who has spent recent weeks managing a strict fast from dawn until sunset to observe Ramadan as a Muslim.
His biggest offensive rebound came after UConn’s once-comfortable lead had shrunk, the pressure rising. Tristen Newton drove into the paint and launched a floater that bounced off the back of the rim, only for Sanogo to jostle a San Diego State rebounder for position and bat the ball with his right hand off the backboard and straight through the net for a 58-50 lead with 7:12 left.
It was part of a night when the Huskies squandered most of a 16-point first-half lead, but kept coming up with key plays — a stop here, a basket there — after the Aztecs kept repeatedly pushing back and ultimately getting as close as five with 5 1/2 minutes left.
Ultimately, UConn reestablished its comfortable margin down the stretch, allowing coach Dan Hurley to sub out his top-of-lineup guys to enjoy the finish from the bench. That included Sanogo checking out with 30.2 seconds left and walking straight to Hurley, who was already locked in a hug with Alex Karaban.
It didn’t matter. The big man wrapped his arms around both Hurley and Karaban to turn it into a group hug to share the moment.
Well, except for making sure to snatch that ball once the horn sounded.