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While nan UConn Huskies person each sights group connected a travel backmost to nan nationalist title astatine stake, it’s difficult not to support reasoning astir nan insane ending against Duke, wherever a halftime tribunal changeable sealed triumph successful a measurement fresh for March Madness.
But caput coach Dan Hurley credited his wife, Andrea, who he called a "Jersey leader lady," for making judge nan Huskies didn’t do thing they’d regret aft that three-pointer gave them a 73-72 lead, securing them a spot successful nan Final Four.
Hurley, making an quality connected Barstool Sports’ "Pardon My Take," agreed pinch Dan "Big Cat" Katz erstwhile he mentioned really "incredible" Andrea was successful making judge each nan players and unit went backmost to nan chair aft nan changeable was hit.
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Head coach Dan Hurley of nan Connecticut Huskies reacts successful nan first half of a quarterfinal crippled against nan Villanova Wildcats during nan Big East Men's Basketball Tournament astatine Madison Square Garden connected March 13, 2025 successful New York City, New York. (Sarah Stier/Getty Images)
With 0.3 seconds still near connected nan clock, nan Huskies whitethorn person gotten a method foul, which would consequence successful free throws for Duke.
"Yeah, she’s a boss. She’s nan Jersey leader lady. And her connection is colorful, too. I mean, she was grabbing group astir nan backmost of their warmups. And she doesn’t cognize thing astir basketball, you know?" Hurley said.
ILLINOIS KNOCKS OFF IOWA TO REACH FINAL FOUR AFTER BUZZER MALFUNCTION DELAY
Hurley revealed nan speech he had pinch his woman aft nan Final Four spot was secured.
"I said to her connected nan plane, ‘This is wild. Three retired of 4 years, you’re going to nan Final Four. Do you ever ideate this pinch your life’" Hurley said.
"And she’s like, ‘I didn’t moreover cognize Final Four existed until 4 years ago."
Four years ago, Hurley made his first travel to nan Final Four, and nan consequence was precisely what he had hoped for: a nationalist title title.
Andrea Hurley, woman of UConn Huskies caput coach Dan Hurley, watches nan Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame accumulation crippled betwixt nan UConn Huskies and Boston College Eagles astatine Mohegan Sun Arena successful Uncasville, Conn., connected Oct. 13, 2025. (Erica Denhoff/Icon Sportswire)
The Huskies were capable to take sides that title successful 2024, maintaining their No. 1 wide seed passim nan year. But aft losing successful nan 2nd information to Florida successful past year’s NCAA Tournament, nan Huskies came successful looking for redemption.
They sewage arsenic precocious arsenic No. 2 successful nan AP rankings, and they are a No. 2 seed group to look No. 3 Illinois pinch a chance to return to nan nationalist title adjacent Monday.
But that wouldn’t person been nan lawsuit if his players didn’t intercept a walk by Duke prima Cam Boozer, nan boy of Duke and NBA awesome Carlos Boozer, and Braylon Mullins drilling a three-pointer almost astatine nan buzzer successful a bizarre decorativeness to their Elite Eight matchup.
UConn Huskies caput coach Dan Hurley watches from nan sideline arsenic his squad takes connected nan Columbia Lions astatine Harry A. Gampel Pavilion successful Storrs, Connecticut, connected Nov. 10, 2025. (David Butler II/Imagn Images)
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At that moment, UConn came backmost from what was a 19-point shortage to daze nan Blue Devils and gain a travel to Lucas Oil Stadium, wherever they will return connected Illinois, nan top-ranked discourtesy successful nan state this year, for a spot successful nan final.
The teams will extremity disconnected successful Indianapolis astatine 6:09 p.m. ET connected Saturday.
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Scott Thompson is simply a sports writer for Fox News Digital.
