The Connecticut Huskies used a suffocating 2nd-half defense to capture their third overall national championship on Monday night, spoiling Butler’s unexpected return to the title game by a 53-41 score. The victory made UConn coach Jim Calhoun the oldest (68) head coach to guide a national champion.

UConn’s 11th-straight win climaxed an unreal late-season run which began with a grueling 5-games-in-five-days Big East tournament and ended with the Huskies rebounding from a 22-19 halftime deficit by holding Butler to an almost impossible-to-believe 18.8 FG percentage, by far an NCAA finals record. Tournament Most Outstanding Player Kemba Walker led UConn with 16 points and 9 rebounds while unsung big man Alex Oriakhi racked up a double-double (11 pts. 11 rebs.) as well as adding 4 blocks to the Huskies 10 total for the game.

The Bulldogs of Butler were the sentimental favorite of most fans, but they were unable to find holes in the UConn defense and shot just 9 for 33 from the three-point arc.