Winner

CONNECTICUT (33-6)

Coach: Jim Calhoun

CONNECTICUT 70, VERMONT 53

March 18, first round at Buffalo

Vermont’s Taylor Coppenrath, the nation’s third-leading scorer at 24.7 points per game, was held to three-of-17 shooting and 12 points, and Rashad Anderson scored 22 points to lead the Huskies.

CONNECTICUT 72, DEPAUL 55

March 20, second round at Buffalo

DePaul missed its first 10 shots, and Connecticut raced to a huge lead and never looked back, with Ben Gordon scoring a team-high 18 points. Connecticut Coach Jim Calhoun left the bench with an upset stomach midway in the second half but returned.

CONNECTICUT 73, VANDERBILT 53

March 25, round of 16 at Phoenix

Gordon scored a game-high 20 points, grabbed nine rebounds and had five assists, and the Huskies’ defense had another great performance. Matt Freije, the Commodores’ career scoring leader, was limited to eight points and three baskets in 18 shots.

CONNECTICUT 87, ALABAMA 71

March 27, round of eight at Phoenix

In being named the most outstanding player of the Phoenix Regional, Gordon scored 36 points, one shy of his career-best. Gordon made 11 of 19 shots, including four three-point baskets, and Anderson had 28 points, including six three-pointers.

CONNECTICUT 79, DUKE 78

April 3, national semifinal at San Antonio

Connecticut trailed by eight points with less than three minutes remaining when it went on a game-deciding 12-0 run. Duke’s top three centers, Shelden Williams, Shavlik Randolph and Nick Horvath, fouled out in the second half.

CONNECTICUT 82, GEORGIA TECH 73

April 5, championship at San Antonio

Emeka Okafor and Gordon helped Connecticut take a 41-25 halftime lead, and the Huskies led by as many 25 points in the second half in winning their second national championship.

-- Lonnie White