UConn vs. Alabama final score, results: Huskies outlast Crimson Tide, punch ticket to national title game

Nick Brinkerhoff

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UConn vs. Alabama final score, results: Huskies outlast Crimson Tide, punch ticket to national title game image

The Huskies are still barking.

No. 1 seed UConn entered the NCAA Tournament as the favorite, and the team has lived up to that expectation.

The Huskies have demolished just about every team in their path. But they were put to the test Saturday night, when the Alabama Crimson Tide nearly rolled through the defending champions.

While the final score — an 86-72 win for UConn — indicates a blowout, the actual game was much closer than that. The clash of styles brought to mind a heavyweight bout, with Alabama's shooting keeping the team afloat all night long. UConn's extra gear, however, made the difference. 

MORE: Watch March Madness games live with Sling

The Huskies struggled their outside shooting for a majority of the game, but they dominated the glass and managed to wreak havoc inside. UConn's ability to get contributions from everyone and beat teams in a variety of ways is what makes them seemingly unstoppable.

Stephon Castle led the way for the Huskies with 21 points, five rebounds and two assists, but all five starters finished in double figures. Donovan Clingan continued to be an eraser in the middle, dominating the paint on both ends of the floor.

UConn's win sets up a dream matchup for college basketball fans on Monday night in Phoenix between two top seeds and top players — UConn and Purdue, Clingan and Zach Edey.

The two best teams in the country will battle to cut down the nets. Either UConn goes back-to-back or Purdue wins a championship for the first time since 1969. It's hard to ask for much more than that. 

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UConn vs. Alabama score

  1 2 F
UConn 44 42 86
Alabama 40 32 72

UConn vs. Alabama results, highlights from 2024 Final Four

(All times Eastern).

11:03 p.m. — And that's it! UConn is going back to the national championship game!

10:57 p.m. — CLINGAN! Back-to-back dunks for the Huskies' big man has the Crimson Tide on the ropes with under two minutes to go. 

10:50 p.m. — We've hit another TV timeout with just four minutes left. UConn has a 10 point lead, which Sears will try to cut to eight on the other side of the break. 

10:47 p.m. — Donovan Clingan block counter: 3. Alabama continues to go in there and test the big man, for some reason. 

10:45 p.m. — Castle, who has been huge for UConn tonight, is headed to the bench with around six minutes left after picking up his fourth foul. 

10:39 p.m. — UConn is going for the knockout punch, but Alabama continues to hang around. The advantage on the free throw line looms large for the Huskies, who have 18 attempts to the Tide's six. 

10:36 p.m. — Sears finally ends the drought in the desert, pulling the Tide back to within six with just over eight minutes to go. 

10:35 p.m. — Alabama has gone more than three minutes of game action without point. The scoreboard operator might be getting worried about their job security. 

10:33 p.m. — A DESERT WEDGIE! Thanks for playing Ian Eagle bingo, folks. We are victorious once again. 

10:28 p.m. — SAMSON JOHNSON ROCKS THE RIM! The seesaw half continues and UConn goes up eight after Alex Karaban snags the offensive rebound and converts the layup to send the Huskies to the under-12 timeout with a 64-56 lead. 

10:22 p.m. — Guess what? Alabama has hit back with a 7-0 run to respond to UConn's 7-0 run which was an answer to Alabama's initial 7-0 run. Madness in April!

10:19 p.m. — OH WOW GRANT NELSON WITH A MAJOR HIGHLIGHT! HE PUT DONOVAN CLINGAN ON A POSTER!

10:15 p.m. — LOB AND SLAM! Stephon Castle elevates for the finish and we head to a TV timeout as UConn has punched back with a 7-0 run of their own. UConn has a 55-47 lead with 15:31 to go in this contest. 

10:13 p.m. — Alabama has responded with a 7-0 run of their own to cut the deficit to one. But Sears has picked up his third foul in the process, which would be a major problem for the Tide. 

10:10 p.m. — UConn has been able to separate in the second half of games throughout the tournament. A quick 4-0 burst to start the half could get out of hand quickly if the Tide don't survive this early part of the half. 

10:09 p.m. — We are underway in the second half. Purdue awaits the winner.

UConn 44, Alabama 40

9:48 p.m. — The Sears catalog is on full display! The crafty guard gets one to go before the buzzer and UConn leads 44-40. A tightly contested first half sets us up for another fun 20 minutes to determine our other finalist. UConn will look to improve that outside shooting and Alabama will look for an answer to slow down Clingan, but this one can go either way at the moment. We'll see if UConn can continue their second half dominance. 

9:42 p.m. — Until now, that is. The Huskies has stretched the lead to seven with just over a minute to go in the first half. 

9:41 p.m. — Every time it seems that UConn is going to pull away, the Tide respond. Neither team has led by more than five in what's been a highly competitive first half. 

9:37 p.m. — Alabama is sticking around because of their three point shooting, while UConn is hanging because of their ability to score inside. The Huskies are struggling with their outside shooting, just 4/14 from downtown. 

9:33 p.m. — The pace is picking up big time with action on both ends of the floor now. Wrightsell gives the Tide the lead before Tristen Newton takes it back for UConn. 

9:31 p.m. — REJECTED! Samson Johnson sends back the Grant Nelson shot attempt as the Huskies try to find some momentum. 

9:27 p.m. — Sears has just picked up his second foul, but will remain in the game for Alabama. He'll have to be careful to avoid further foul trouble with Nelson already having two.

9:25 p.m. — With 7:31 to go in the first half, we are tied at 28. Alabama looks like a completely different beast than the Illinois team that UConn crushed last weekend. They are not afraid and hanging around. 

9:20 p.m. — UConn is attacking the paint a lot more since Clingan returned after settling for a lot of outside jumpers earlier. It's proved to be fruitful thus far as the Huskies are getting to the line more often and finding easy buckets. 

9:14 p.m. — BIG FINISH! Clingan's hand looks fine as he rocks the rim in transition and that quick run from the big guy forces Nate Oats to call for time as UConn regains the lead. The Huskies might have to give Clingan the Zach Edey treatment and keep him in for the rest of the game. 

9:13 p.m. — Like clockwork, Clingan is back and has already scored. He does have a bandage on his hand, however, which is worth monitoring going forward. 

9:10 p.m. — And it's time for another TV timeout. Alabama is controlling this game and making shots. They're 5/7 from downtown and we'll probably see Clingan back out of this timeout to stabilize UConn.

9:07 p.m. — Alabama has the lead! A three from Latrell Wrightsell Jr. puts the Tide in front and now the Huskies really are in unfamiliar territory. 

9:05 p.m. — Welcome to the party, Mark Sears. He collects his first two points of the game to knot it up at 15 apiece. UConn is having to fight for this one, a spot they haven't really been in during the tournament yet. 

9:03 p.m. — Grant Nelson has picked up his second foul for the Crimson Tide, leading to an early departure. Clingan also heads to the bench for a breather with the Alabama big guy out in foul trouble. 

8:56 p.m. — The two sides are trading punches on the offensive end to start. The threes are falling for both sides, but UConn has a 13-8 lead at our first timeout of the evening with 15:31 to go in the opening half. 

8:53 p.m. — Clingan block counter: 2.

8:52 p.m. — DO NOT GO IN THERE! Donovan Clingan kicks this game off the way he started the last one — blocking shots. 

8:51 p.m. — UConn controls the opening tip and we are underway from Phoenix!

8:48 p.m. — Neither team is planning on reinventing the wheel tonight with their starting lineups, sticking with what got them here. 

And here is how it looked on the broadcast for each team. 

8:40 p.m. — The pregame warmups will soon turn to game action.

8:30 p.m. — If UConn fans need a reason to be nervous, look no further than NC State. The Wolfpack sent both the men's and women's teams to the Final Four, only to see both of them lose. The UConn women lost to Iowa on Friday night. Could that spell doom for the Huskies?

8:20 p.m. — The betting odds aren't giving Alabama much of a chance in this contest. BetMGM has UConn as a 10.5 point favorite and -600 on the moneyline, meaning you'd need to bet $600 just to win another $100.

8:10 p.m. — It'll be a tall task for the Crimson Tide to win this game against the juggernaut that is UConn, who has consistently embarrassed the opposition throughout the tournament. But Alabama's offense gives them hope, especially if their three point shooting doesn't betray them. The winner will go on to face Purdue, who is playing for their first championship since 1969. 

8:02 p.m. — UConn is going with the classic white jerseys for tonight's contest. It's a clean look and means we should get Alabama in their signature crimson threads, making for an elite jersey matchup on the floor. 

7:10 p.m. — We are still a ways from the opening tip, but Dan Hurley is already making headlines for his entrance. He doesn't look like a coach that is nervous, that's for sure. Nate Oats has his work cut out for him tonight. 

7 p.m. — The Tide are making their first Final Four appearance in school history, meaning this is one trip down memory lane Alabama fans will want to relive. 

6:30 p.m. — While UConn might have the history on the hardwood, Alabama has the gridiron and they are showing their support ahead of tonight's Final Four action.

6 p.m. — As if you needed another reason to get hyped up for tonight's contest, look no further than this.

5:30 p.m. — Sometimes the biggest underdogs in March Madness are the coaches who scratched and clawed to get here. As Nate Oats gets his Crimson Tide rolling into the Final Four, he looks back on the road to get here. 

UConn vs. Alabama start time

  • Date: Saturday, April 6
  • Time: 8:49 p.m. ET

UConn and Alabama will play the second Final Four game at 8:49 p.m. ET on Saturday, April 6 at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona.

How to watch UConn vs. Alabama

  • TV channel: TBS
  • Livestream: Sling

Fans can tune into the Final Four on TBS at 8:49 p.m. on Saturday, April 6. Cable cutters can stream the game on Sling.

Sling is the home for sports fans, as it offers a wide range of channels. You can always cheer for your favorite teams with channels like ESPN, TBS, TNT, NFL Network, FS1 and more.

Final Four schedule 2024

Game Time (ET) TV/Livestream
No. 1 Purdue vs. No. 11 NC State 6:09 p.m. TBS/Sling
No. 1 UConn vs. No. 4 Alabama 8:49 p.m. TBS/Sling

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Nick Brinkerhoff

Nick Brinkerhoff Photo

Nick Brinkerhoff is a content producer at The Sporting News covering the NFL, NBA and other sports. A proud New Jerseyan, Nick is also a graduate of Rutgers University. He is always in the mood for a good joke, the day’s best bets, or a debate about the mediocrity of the New York sports scene.