Michigan holds off UConn to capture first men's basketball national title since 1989

The Michigan Wolverines are yet nationalist champions erstwhile much successful men’s basketball, taking down the UConn Huskies, 69-63, to decorativeness a thrilling NCAA Tournament successful benignant astatine Lucas Oil Stadium connected Monday night.

This is the archetypal clip Michigan has won since 1989, and conscionable the 2nd clip successful programme past they’ve called themselves champions.

Meanwhile, the Huskies were looking to triumph their 3rd rubric successful the past 4 tournaments, but their shooting failed them successful the end.  

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Elliot Cadeau celebrates during the archetypal fractional of the 2026 NCAA men's hoops nationalist title crippled against UConn astatine Lucas Oil Stadium successful Indianapolis, Indiana, connected April 6, 2026. (Michael Reaves/Getty Images)

While some team’s offenses came into this crippled moving similar a machine, it was a low-scoring matter to footwear disconnected this game. Michigan lone owned a 33-29 first-half pb by the buzzer, but it wasn’t Yaxel Lendeborg starring the mode successful the points section for the Wolverines.

The Michigan star, who is playing connected a sprained near MCL and near ankle, which came during the triumph implicit Arizona successful the Final Four, was conscionable 1-of-5 shooting for 4 points successful the archetypal half. It was Morez Johnson Jr. (10 points) and Elliot Cadeau (seven points) uncovering immoderate bushed for the Wolverines.

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But it didn’t assistance that Michigan was scoreless from beyond the arc and shooting conscionable 37% from the field. Meanwhile, UConn wasn’t doing themselves immoderate favors either.

The Huskies changeable conscionable 33% successful the archetypal half, with Alex Karaban hitting 2 of his 5 three-point attempts. Solo Ball, who was spotted successful a walking footwear entering the crippled with "some benignant of ft sprain," according to caput manager Dan Hurley, had 8 points connected 3-of-4 from the field.

While they were down, UConn was surely playing the benignant of crippled they wanted against Michigan – a rugged battle, particularly connected the glass. Michigan has shown its prowess of taking momentum and sprinting with it offensively, dominating opponents each twelvemonth long, including this NCAA Tournament.

Yaxel Lendeborg of the Michigan Wolverines dribbles during the archetypal fractional against the UConn Huskies successful the National Championship of the 2026 NCAA men's hoops tourney astatine Lucas Oil Stadium successful Indianapolis, Ind., connected April 6, 2026. (Michael Reaves/Getty Images)

However, the Huskies cognize their scratching and clawing abilities for 40 minutes allows them to ne'er fto an hostile consciousness comfortable. Just inquire the Duke Blue Devils what happened successful the Final Four.

The Huskies had that aforesaid demeanor successful the 2nd half, though it didn’t assistance they took a leafage retired of the Wolverines’ first-half playbook – they couldn’t find the changeable from range. UConn was hopeless to deed a three-pointer, but contempt unfastened looks, they couldn’t get 1 to autumn arsenic the Michigan pb yet got to 11 points aft Cadeau yet broke the seal for his squad connected the other end, burying a three-pointer to get to a double-digit lead.

But Hurley was firing up the assemblage arsenic the Huskies ne'er quit, cutting the pb to 5 with little than 9 minutes to play successful the game. Lendeborg, though, aft shaking his caput connected the seat arsenic helium wasn't having the crippled helium hoped successful the nationalist championship, stepped up erstwhile helium checked backmost in.

Lendeborg saw a saccharine walk from Cadeau successful modulation and got the pb backmost to 11 with a pugnacious layup, making it 56-45 with little than six minutes to play. He would besides travel successful clutch with different 2 points pursuing a Braylon Mullins three-pointer.

Once again, the Huskies wouldn't quit, arsenic Mullins yet recovered his changeable beyond the arc, knocking that Michigan pb backmost to azygous digits with a follow-up three-pointer again to Lendeborg's layups. But, conscionable arsenic gritty arsenic the Huskies played, the Wolverines seemed to ever person the reply successful this hard-fought contest.

Head manager Dan Hurley of the UConn Huskies reacts during the archetypal fractional of the NCAA men's hoops nationalist title crippled against the Michigan Wolverines astatine Lucas Oil Stadium successful Indianapolis, Ind., connected April 6, 2026. (Michael Reaves/Getty Images)

A cardinal illustration of that was, aft Karaban buried a three-pointer to chopped the Michigan pb to six, Trey McKenney stepped backmost and drilled a 26-footer with 1:49 near successful the crippled to get the pb backmost to 9 points. The Wolverines faithful successful the assemblage went ballistic, knowing however overmuch that handbasket meant considering what UConn has been capable to bash successful this tournament.

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With 37 seconds near successful the game, Ball got immoderate assistance from the backboard, making a three-pointer to chopped the pb to 67-63 for the Wolverines. Roddy Gayle Jr. made things much absorbing successful this game, arsenic helium couldn't sound down his 2 escaped propulsion attempts for Michigan. But Karaban didn't person different clutch three-pointer successful him, coming up abbreviated with 13 seconds left.

That was it for UConn's desperation attempt, and Michigan celebrated their win.

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