INDIANAPOLIS — It started with a little over three minutes to go in the first half, when one of Michigan’s burly 6-9 forwards, Morez Johnson Jr. — Chicago’s own — reached up and got his big right mitt on an offensive rebound while his left arm was being pinned down by UConn’s Alex Karaban.
A hook-and-hold flagrant foul was whisted. Standing alone, Johnson made two foul shots. Next trip down, Johnson’s All-American teammate and physical equal, Yaxel Lendeborg, caught a pass from Aday Mara in the deep post, cleared space with a whirling move and laid one in. And the trip after that, Lendeborg returned the favor, finding the 7-3 Mara for a post score.
With that 6-0 run for a four-point lead, the Wolverines’ physical edge — which they’d had over opponents all season, never more so than in this NCAA Tournament — kicked in.
Too big, too strong, too talented, too many ways to win — and too much for a tough UConn squad, which fell 69-63 in the championship game at Lucas Oil Stadium.
Mara, who was dominant in a semifinal win against Arizona, didn’t score until over 12 minutes into the game. Lendeborg, the Big Ten’s player of the year, didn’t score until a couple of minutes after that. The Wolverines (37-3) missed all eight three-point attempts in the first half, shot 2-for-15 from deep for the game, gave up way too many offensive rebounds and still had enough paint scoring, defense and will to get it done.
That’s just how this team rolled.
For Michigan, it’s the first national title since 1989. For the Big Ten, it’s the first title since Michigan State’s run in 2000.
UConn (34-6) had a brutal night from deep, too, shooting 9-for-33.
Michigan point guard Elliot Cadeau scored 19 and was voted Final Four most outstanding player. Lendeborg, gritting his way through 36 minutes on an injured knee, scored 13. Johnson had 12 points and 10 rebounds.