April 9, 2014

The University of Connecticut established itself as the undisputed monarch of college basketball, winning both the NCAA men’s and women’s championships in a 24-hour period. It was only the second time in NCAA history that one school won both championships in the same season, and it was Connecticut who accomplished the feat first, back in 2003-2004.

The women’s victory on April 8 was no great surprise. Coach Geno Auriemma’s team came into the finals against opponent Notre Dame with a 39-game winning streak and overwhelmed the previously undefeated Fighting Irish 79-58. It was the school’s second-consecutive women’s title and gave Auriemma his ninth NCAA championship, breaking the record of eight he had shared with former Tennessee coach Pat Summitt. Breanna Stewart led UConn with 21 points and was named the Most Valuable Player of the Final Four for the second straight year.

Connecticut’s men’s victory on April 7 was a far different story. UConn was seeded 7th in its tournament and was established as a clear underdog against the red-hot University of Kentucky team. Kentucky’s roster was packed with freshmen who seemed destined to become National Basketball Association millionaires after the next NBA draft. But behind the steady play of guards Shabazz Napier and Ryan Boatright, UConn jumped out to an early lead and fought off several Kentucky surges to take the title with a 60-54 victory. The school became the lowest seed ever to win the NCAA men’s basketball championship. The victory was a personal triumph for UConn’s 42-year old coach Kevin Ollie, who won the title in only his second year at the school.

Additional World Book articles:

• Basketball
• Basketball (1995) (a Back in Time article)
• Basketball (1997) (a Back in Time article)
• Basketball (2013) (a Back in Time article)