The UConn’s Huskies’ bid for a historic March Madness three-peat is over following a 77-75 defeat at the hands of the Florida Gators.
The reigning champion (24-11) has been sent packing in the second round of this year’s NCAA Tournament, where the No. 1 seed Gators (32-4) ended their hopes of winning three straight championships in a thrilling encounter on Sunday afternoon.
Dan Hurley’s No. 8 seed would have become the first men’s team to pull off a three-peat since UCLA’s run of seven straight titles in the 1960s and 70s had they gone all the way again in 2025.
Yet thanks to a sensational display from Florida and star guard Walter Clayton Jr., UCLA remains the only men’s team in history to achieve that feat.
Clayton Jr, a first-team All-America guard, put up 23 points, three rebounds and one assist in a stunning victory for the Gators at North Carolina’s PNC Arena.
The 22-year-old’s strong return included two crucial three-pointers in the final three minutes to dump the champion out.
UConn’s bid for a historic March Madness three-peat is over following a 75-70 defeat to Florida
Alijah Martin also finished with 18 points for Florida, while Will Richard was on hand with 15.
As for UConn, Liam McNeeley (22) and Alex Karaban (14) recorded their largest scores in the defeat.
Florida has advanced to the Sweet 16 for the first time since 2017 and will play Colorado State or Maryland in the West Region semifinals in San Francisco.
More to follow.
