NCAA men's tournament Final Four scores: UConn, Purdue advance to set up showdown in title game

UConn will play Purdue for its sixth national championship. The Huskies are 5-0 in their previous title game appearances, all of them since 1999. A modern-day dynasty, indeed.

Stephon Castle's 21 points are the third-most by a freshman in the Final Four in the last 40 years. Pretty good company here. Only Carmelo Anthony and Derrick Rose scored more. He's just ahead of Paolo Banchero and Mike Bibby.

The Huskies shot 50% from the floor, 40% (10 of 25) from 3 and won the rebound margin, 37-29. They assisted on 20 of their 31 made field goals and turned the ball over just four times. It was a nearly flawless victory against a game Alabama team.

All five UConn starters scored in double figures. Freshman star Stephon Castle paced the effort with 21 points, five rebounds and two assists. Donovan Clingan added 18 points, five rebounds and four blocks. He scored two emphatic dunks as the Huskies put the game away in the final minutes.

UConn saw its toughest test of the tournament Saturday and walked away with an 86-72 win. The margin doesn't reflect the close nature of the game, but the Huskies ran away in the final two minutes.

UConn will face Purdue on Monday for the NCAA championship.

Brilliant pick and roll and bounce pass from Tristen Newton leads to a Donovan Clingan dunk. UConn can feel it at this point, leading 78-68 under 2 minutes.

Alex Karaban has been sensational on both sides of the court. A big 3 from the UConn forward extends the Huskies' lead to 76-65.

UConn leads, 73-63 at the final TV timeout. Bama pulling this out at this point against the reigning champs would be an all-timer.

Dan Hurley pulled Castle after his fourth. Is it a mistake 6-plus minutes from a potential berth in the national championship?

UConn's Stephon Castle just picked up his fourth foul on a moving screen with 6:30 remaining. Huskies lead 69-61.

UConn leads Alabama 67-61 at the under-8 timeout. Mark Sears has scored the last five points for Alabama as they try to climb the UConn mountain for the fourth time this half.

Alabama went 3:31 without scoring before finally cutting UConn's lead to six with 9:10 to go

UConn responds to Alabama's second 7-0 run with an 8-0 run. This is quite the second half so far. Huskies lead 64-56 after Alabama had gotten the game tied at 56-56.

GLENDALE, Ariz. — Alabama has achieved something that none of UConn's previous NCAA tournament opponents have: Putting actual second-half game pressure on the Huskies.

Grant Nelson's baby hook in the lane capped a 9-1 Alabama surge and tied the score at 56 with just over 12 minutes remaining.

Alabama has its second 7-0 run of the second half and has cut UConn's lead to one again.

Alabama cut UConn's lead to 48-47 ... and the Huskies now lead 55-47 with 15:31 to go. Each team has had a pair of 7-0 runs already this half.

Mark Sears picks up his third foul as Alabama cuts what was an 8-point UConn lead to one.

GLENDALE, Ariz. — UConn may yet unleash a killshot, but credit Alabama's Mark Sears for staving it off until at least the second half.

Sears hit two big shots to keep Alabama breathing, the first a corner 3-pointer to halt a UConn surge and the second a twisting scoop shot in the lane to close the halftime gap to four.

Sears leads Alabama with 11 points and is one of five Crimson Tide players to have hit a 3-pointer. Alabama may need to duplicate its 8-for-11 first-half 3-point shooting in the second half to make this a game down the stretch.

There are reasons for both teams to be optimistic heading into the second half.

For Alabama: The Tide wasn’t overwhelmed by UConn and has held the Huskies to below 50% shooting. Alabama is also hanging with the Huskies on the boards too.

For UConn: Alabama shot 8 of 11 from behind the 3-point line while the Huskies were just 5 of 15. And UConn still leads by four.

Halftime: UConn leads Alabama 44-40

Alabama coach Nate Oats played Mark Sears and Grant Nelson for much of the first half with two fouls each and it worked out extremely well for the Crimson Tide.

UConn has stretched the lead to 7 with a minute to go before halftime.

UConn leads Alabama 35-31 at the under-4 timeout of the first half.

Alabama is shooting 7 of 10 from the 3-point line.

Alex Karaban just got called for his second foul as Rylan Griffen slipped going up for a layup. It's hard to see how that was actually a foul. Karaban was in disbelief.

Mark Sears just picked up two quick fouls for Alabama. He joins Grant Nelson with two fouls. Both players are still on the floor.

Grant Nelson is back in for Alabama with two fouls. Props to Nate Oats for not sitting him the rest of the first half.

The Crimson Tide and Huskies are tied 28-28 with 7:31 to go before halftime. This game has been great so far.

Cling Kong Slam

Alabama is trying to spread UConn out on offense and it's working. The Tide love to shoot from behind the arc and are 5 of 7 through the first quarter of the game.

Alabama leads UConn 23-20 at the second TV timeout.

Latrell Wrightsell is back on the court for Alabama after suffering a head injury earlier in the tournament. And his 3-pointer has given Alabama an 18-15 lead.

Grant Nelson has picked up his second foul for Alabama. There's 13:41 left in the first half

What a fun start to the second semifinal. Alabama scored first — yes, UConn actually trailed — and the Huskies lead 13-8 at the first TV timeout.

GLENDALE, Ariz. — Zach Edey chuckled when I asked him what DJ Burns said to him here.

"I'm going to keep that between us," the 7-foot-4 Purdue center said. "But he's a good guy."

Zach Edey finishes with 20 points and 12 rebounds. Purdue shot 40% from the 3-point line after NC State's tournament opponents were shooting under 30% through the first four tournament games.

DJ Horne had 20 for NC State. DJ Burns only had 8 and was 4 of 10 from the field.

It's final. Purdue is heading to the national title game while NC State's incredible streak is over. The Wolfpack's nine-game win streak is over and the Boilermakers will play the winner of UConn and Alabama on Monday night.

Purdue 63, NC State 50

As Purdue leads 61-43 with less than four minutes to go, it's worth noting that the streak of No. 11 seeds in the Final Four will live on barring a miraculous comeback for NC State.

All five of the previous of the No. 11 seeds that have made it to the Final Four have lost in the semifinals.

This could be the shot that sends Purdue to the national title game. Zach Edey adeptly passed out of a double team to find a wide-open Fletcher Loyer for a 3-pointer and a 15-point lead.

The NC State comeback attempt is not going well. The Wolfpack trail 55-43 with 5:03 to go after DJ Horne just airballed a 3-pointer

NC State is trying to chip away at Purdue's lead. The Boilermakers lead 49-42 with 7:37 to go. NC State has made pushes multiple times in this game, but Purdue has swatted the Wolfpack away. Will that trend continue?

Zach Edey just hit his first shot of the second half. His fourth hook shot over DJ Burns extends Purdue's lead to 47-35 with 11:32 remaining. His first bucket since the 4:42 mark of the first half.

Zach Edey's a non-factor as a scorer right now, but it doesn't matter. All three of Purdue's second-half field goals have been 3-pointers. Lance Jones' fourth 3 of the game just extended Purdue's lead to 45-33.

NC State's countered with four points in the first 7:20 of the half. The Wolfpack need a run soon, or Purdue could run away it.

Ben Middlebrooks and DJ Burns each now have three fouls each. Trouble for Zach Edey's primary defenders, who have done a good job of slowing Edey since midway through the first half.

Zach Edey's scoreless in the second half at the first TV timeout. NC State made some halftime adjustments to deny him the ball in position. Purdue leads, 39-33.