UConn
Arkansas' Jordan Walsh (13) handles the ball against UConn's Hassan Diarra (5) and Donovan Clingan, right, in the first half of a Sweet 16 college basketball game in the West Regional of the NCAA Tournament, Thursday, March 23, 2023, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/John Locher)

UConn Triumphs Over Arkansas in Sweet 16

The UConn Huskies took on the Arkansas Razorbacks in the Sweet 16 Thursday night. The Huskies dominated the game winning by an emphatic 23 points in their 88-65 victory. The charge was lead by sophomore guard Jordan Hawkins, who put up 24 points.

Adama Sanogo also had an impressive performance against the Razorbacks, putting up 18 points, eight rebounds and one assist. After averaging 17.3 points, 7.5 rebounds and 1.2 assists per game in the regular season, the Razorbacks struggled to contain Sanogo in the paint and on the boards. He also shot an impressive 9-11 from the field.

Huskies Dominate

In the middle of the first half, the Huskies went on a 14-0 run to take a 34-20 lead, forcing the Razorbacks to call a timeout with 7:42 remaining in the half.  At halftime, the Razorbacks trailed 46-29.

The Huskies showed no signs of slowing down in the second half, dominating Arkansas to win 88-65.

Anthony Black and Ricky Council IV lead the Razorbacks offensively. Black recorded 20 points, five steals and four rebounds while Council IV had 17 points.

UConn Reach Elite 8

The Huskies are now one of four teams to reach the Elite Eight. They are set to face the Gonzaga Bulldogs on Saturday after the Zags pulled out a thrilling win over UCLA. UConn has an overall 1-2 record against Gonzaga, with their last matchup coming in 2015. Gonzaga came out on top in a close 73-70 win in the Bahamas.

The Huskies lone win against the Bulldogs came back in 2008, winning 88-83.

The last time UConn reached the Elite Eight was in 2014 as a No. 7 seed. The team would go on to win the National Championship that year, beating the Kentucky Wildcats 60-54. Shabazz Napier led the Huskies with 22 points to lead the team to a National Title victory.

Tipoff is set for 8:49 p.m. in Las Vegas.

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