NCAA: Elliot Cadeau, Michigan hold off UConn for national title

INDIANAPOLIS — Michigan captured its second national championship after a hard-fought 69-63 victory over UConn in a thrilling seesaw game on Monday.

Point guard Elliot Cadeau led the Wolverines with 19 points, shooting 8 of 9 from the free-throw line, and was named the Final Four’s Most Outstanding Player. Yaxel Lendeborg added 13 points, while Morez Johnson Jr. contributed 12 points and 10 rebounds.

“These guys have done it all year,” Michigan coach Dusty May said during the postgame trophy presentation. “When one side of the ball is letting us down, the other side is picking us up.”

Cadeau expressed his excitement: “It just feels great being able to do this with the people I love and all these great fans.”

UConn, appearing in its third national championship game in four years, slowed the pace in the first half with late-clock shot attempts and strategic fouling. Michigan struggled from beyond the arc early, missing all eight of its 3-point attempts in the first half, but the Wolverines stayed in control at the free-throw line.

The final minutes were tense. With a 67-60 lead and less than a minute to play, Michigan turned the ball over. Solo Ball hit a 3-pointer over Trey McKenney with 37 seconds left. Roddy Gayle Jr. missed both free throws for UConn, and Alex Karaban’s 3-point attempt barely brushed the rim. McKenney secured the rebound and sank both free throws with 13.4 seconds left to seal the win.

Michigan made 20 consecutive free throws and finished 25 of 28 from the line. Karaban and teammate Braylon Mullins struggled from long range, combining for 9 of 31 on 3-pointers, but Karaban led UConn with 17 points while seeking a rare third national title for a non-UCLA player.

The first half featured six lead changes and eight ties, but neither team managed a scoring run. Michigan, which had averaged 94.4 points in its first five NCAA Tournament games, faced a stifling UConn defense that also struggled from deep, shooting 4 of 18 in the second half.

Michigan entered Monday’s game with a 1-6 record all-time in national championship games, their only previous win coming in 1989. This marks the first national title for a Big Ten team since 2000, when Michigan State claimed the crown.

—Jeff Reynolds, Field Level Media/Reuters