Midway through the second half of Saturday night’s Final Four game against No. 3 Illinois, UConn guard Solo Ball let a three fly from the top of the arc. The ball clanked off of the back of the rim, kissed the top of the backboard and fell to the front of the rim—which deflected it back off the backboard and gently through the net. The improbable make put the Huskies up 52–40.
With just over four minutes left on the clock, Ball leaked out off of a Fighting Illini miss, catching an outlet pass from Alex Karaban in stride and slamming home a ferocious fast break dunk. Illinois had gotten within four points a few possessions prior, but Ball’s slam extended UConn’s lead to 61–53. Illinois would get within striking distance a few more times down the stretch, but the Huskies were able to keep them at arm’s length, finishing with a 71–62 victory to advance to the national championship.
