For some time, San Diego State’s protection saved it shut in Thursday’s Sweet 16 matchup with UConn.

But the top-seeded Huskies — who can beat opponents in so many alternative methods — have been in the end an excessive amount of en path to an 82-52 win. UConn dominated the glass and leaned on its personal stingy protection to safe an awesome victory in a rematch of final season’s nationwide title sport in opposition to the fifth-seeded Aztecs. UConn’s All-Big East backcourt duo of Cam Spencer and Tristen Newton bought the job executed on offense alongside freshman standout Stephon Castle.

Jaedon LeDee saved SDSU afloat early with seven factors in the sport’s first 4 minutes en path to a 15-point first half. He claimed almost half of SDSU’s factors as UConn took a 40-31 edge into the break. But the Huskies held him scoreless for the primary 7:36 of the second half as they prolonged their result in double digits.

By that point, UConn led, 53-39. The Aztecs struggled to discover a second scoring choice, and the sport was all however over. LeDee completed with 18 factors.

Like final season’s shock nationwide finalist, San Diego State bought to the Sweet 16 due to a stingy protection that entered Thursday’s sport ranked tenth in the nation in KenPom’s adjusted defensive effectivity. It flustered UConn early and held the Huskies to 39.5% capturing in the primary half. But when it was executed, UConn shot 46.2% for the sport.

When UConn missed, SDSU could not clear the glass. The Huskies tallied 21 offensive rebounds on 35 missed pictures. They secured a 50-28 rebounding edge in a dominant effort on the glass that in the end decided the sport’s end result.

And they made life onerous on SDSU when the Aztecs had the ball. SDSU shot 36.2% from the sector and 22.7% from 3-point distance in opposition to a UConn protection that ranks eighth in adjusted defensive effectivity. When UConn prolonged its result in double digits, there was little hope for an SDSU rally.

On offense, UConn seemed to its backcourt trio of Spencer, Newton and Castle. Spencer tallied 18 factors, 5 rebounds, three assists and three steals. A switch from Rutgers who did not play on final 12 months’s nationwide title staff, Spencer’s emerged as certainly one of UConn’s greatest gamers in 2024.

Castle, a possible lottery decide, completed with 16 factors and a game-high 11 rebounds. Newton tallied 17 factors, seven rebounds and 4 assists. UConn advances to Saturday to face the winner between No. 2 seed Iowa State and No. 3 seed Illinois in the East regional last.