Just three minutes into the second half, Jordan Hawkins lifted his arms into the air and pounded his chest. There may have been 17 minutes to play, but that signal unleashed the chants:
U-C-O-N-N.
The Connecticut Huskies are heading to the Final Four, proving to the country on Saturday night that they are back and a force to be reckoned with.
Leading by seven at the break, UConn wasn’t going to let Gonzaga do to them what the Zags did to UCLA on Thursday in the Sweet 16.
The Huskies shot out of a cannon, rolling out a 13-5 run, highlighted by Hawkins — the West Region Most Outstanding Player — catching fire. The sophomore, who’s on track to go top-20 in the NBA Draft in June, led UConn on a 36-12 run at one point in the second frame. He finished with 20 points and was one of seven Huskies to score at least eight points in an 82-54 walkover. Next up is the Final Four in Houston on Saturday.
“Depth. That’s what this team has over anybody,” said Bob Hurley Sr., father of UConn coach Dan Hurley.
The Hall of Famer and high school basketball legend stood at center court with tears in his eyes on Saturday night as his son was cutting down the nets. Saturday night provided the shining moment for Dan, whose brother Bobby — the coach at Arizona State — often led the family headlines during his playing days at Duke.
On this night, Danny showed the world what he meant when he said “It’s coming” three years ago.
“He works tirelessly, absolutely tirelessly,” Hurley Sr. said. “To see him get this is special, because he truly does deserve it.”
More to come.
John Fanta is a national college basketball broadcaster and writer for FOX Sports. He covers the sport in a variety of capacities, from calling games on FS1 to serving as lead host on the BIG EAST Digital Network to providing commentary on The Field of 68 Media Network. Follow him on Twitter @John_Fanta.
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