Shabazz Napier got the look, the look of we’re going to the Final Four whether you want us to or not.

And when that look came from the UConn Huskies senior point guard, it meant that the Michigan State Spartans were doomed.

Napier had 17 of his 25 points in the second half to lead UConn to 60-54 win over Michigan State at Madison Square Garden on Sunday afternoon.

It’s the first 30 win season for Huskies head coach Kevin Ollie (30-8). The Spartans finish their season at 29-9 and it’s the first time a senior class hasn’t gone to a Final Four while at MSU.

DeAndre Daniels added 12 points and eight rebounds for UConn. Ryan Boatright chipped in with 11 points and had a team-high four steals.

Gary Harris paced Michigan State with 22 points. Adreian Payne had 13 points and a game-high nine rebounds in his final game while Denzel Valentine had nine points and eight rebounds.

In front of a partisan crowd, the Huskies got out of the gates quickly as they jumped out to 12-2 lead early on. Then a winter chill fell over them while the Spartans heated up and narrowed the gap to two points at 18-16.

Napier would put UConn up 21-16 with a three with 5:27 to go but it would be the final basket they would score in the first half. Michigan State closed out the half on a 9-0 run to enjoy a 25-21 lead at the break.

The Spartans would extend that lead to 10 points early on in the second half before Napier got the look and decided it was time. UConn would use a 9-0 run to take the lead capped off with a Daniels old fashioned three point play.

The Huskies would build their lead to 10 points only to see the Spartans rally back to cut it to two. UConn would hit their free throws down the stretch and Phillip Nolan fast break slam dunk would seal the deal for the Huskies.

Next up for UConn is a rematch with the Florida Gators in the Final Four at Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, TX on Saturday. You may remember the Huskies beat the Gators earlier in the season when Napier hit a shot at the buzzer. Tip is scheduled for 6:09 p.m.

UConn Huskies vs Michigan State Spartans 2014 Elite Eight box score

Here are the postgame quotes from UConn head coach Kevin Ollie and Michigan State head coach Tom Izzo.

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photo credits: brad horrigan – hartford courant

One way to be able to beat the UConn Huskies women’s basketball team is to believe that you can beat them.

The BYU Cougars believed they could advance to Elite Eight over UConn. And for 20 minutes, it looked like they could possibly do just that.

After playing what may have been their worst first half all season, the UConn women recovered and took control in the second half on their way to a 70-51 win over BYU at Pinnacle Bank Arena in Lincoln, NE  to advance to the Elite Eight on Monday night.

UConn improves to 37-0 while BYU ends their season at 28-7.

Kaleena Mosqueda-Lewis led the Huskies with a double-double of 19 points and 13 rebounds. Despite scoring just four points in the first half, Breanna Stewart finished with 16 points, seven rebounds and four blocked shots.

Bria Hartley added 12 points and five assists while Moriah Jefferson had 11 points. Stefanie Dolson narrowly missed out on a double-double with nine points and 13 rebounds. She also had four blocked shots.

Kim Beeston led the upset-minded Cougars with 16 points while Morgan Bailey had 14 points and seven rebounds. 6’7″ Jennifer Hamson added nine points and 13 rebounds to go along with six blocked shots (two above her NCAA-leading average).

Next up for UConn is matchup with the Texas A&M Aggies on Monday night for the right to go to the Final Four in Nashville. Tip is scheduled for 9:30 p.m.

UConn Huskies vs BYU Cougars 2014 Sweet 16 box score

Here are UConn’s postgame notes.

Follow Ian on Twitter @soxanddawgs. And be sure to like us on Facebook as well.

photo credit: cloe poisson – hartford courant

We’ve all seen the potential of DeAndre Daniels. It comes in spurts. But in this 2014 NCAA Tournament, he’s stepped up his game.

And when the UConn Huskies men’s basketball team needed a third scorer in the Sweet 16 matchup with the Iowa State Cyclones, it was Daniels who turned his game up a notch.

Daniels had 27 points and 10 rebounds to lead UConn past Iowa State 81-76 to advance to the Elite 8 at sold-out and pro-UConn crowd at Madison Square Garden on Friday night.

The Huskies improve to 29-8 while the Cyclones finish up at 28-8.

Shabazz Napier added 19 points, five rebounds and five assists while Ryan Boatright had 16 points. Brooklyn native Terrence Samuel came off the bench to add 10 points for UConn.

Yonkers native Dustin Hogue led all scorers in the game with a career-high 34 points. DeAndre Kane had a nice game with 16 points, eight rebounds and nine assists while Monte Morris had 12 points. Big 12 Player of the Year Melvin Ejim was held to seven points and he tied Kane for the team-high in rebounds with eight of his own.

Next up for UConn is the East Regional Final on Sunday afternoon for the right to go the Final Four. They’ll take on the Michigan State Spartans with tip scheduled for 2:20 p.m.

UConn Huskies vs Iowa State Cyclones 2014 Sweet 16 box score

Here are the postgame quotes from UConn head coach Kevin Ollie and some of his players.

Here are the postgame quotes from Iowa State head coach Fred Hoiberg and some of his players.

Follow Ian on Twitter @soxanddawgs. And be sure to like us on Facebook as well.

photo credits: brad horrigan, richard messina – hartford courant