UConn upsets top-ten Gonzaga in a battle of heavyweight powerhouses at Madison Square Garden
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In the modern, money-driven era of college athletics, building a powerhouse in any sport is a daunting task. That's especially true when your national championship is decided by a 68-team, single-elimination knockout bracket that is designed for chaos.
![[Khalif Battle of Gonzaga celebrates after knocking down a 3-pointer against UConn]](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2024/12/15/03/93161267-14194035-image-a-17_1734232420310.jpg)
But over the past 30 years, two teams from the middle of nowhere have managed to build themselves to become dominant fixtures in the sport - placing their names alongside the likes of the UCLA's, North Carolina's and Kentucky's of the college basketball world.
![[Dan Hurley is the latest coach in a series of UConn leaders to be crowned a champion]](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2024/12/15/02/93160839-14194035-image-a-3_1734230021983.jpg)
The two faced off at Madison Square Garden at the end of their non-conference schedule - hoping to continue to bolster their resumes against the best-of-the-best. On one side, the University of Connecticut - a state school in the farm town of Storrs with an untamable appetite for the sport. The other, Gonzaga University - a private Catholic school in eastern Washington state that rose from Cinderellas to perennial contenders.
![[Gonzaga's Mark Few has been at the helm for 26 years, almost singlehandedly building the program from a 'mid-major' into one of the most dominant college teams in this millenium]](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2024/12/15/02/93160843-14194035-image-a-4_1734230025868.jpg)
Tonight in The World's Most Famous Arena, the 18th ranked UConn shocked No. 8 Gonzaga 77-71 to redeem themselves from a painful November with three-straight major wins. Liam McNeeley of Connecticut celebrates after hitting a triple against Gonzaga on Saturday.
![[Ray Allen for UConn (L) and Adam Morrison for Gonzaga (R) boosted their programs]](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2024/12/15/02/93160975-14194035-image-m-8_1734230590651.jpg)
Khalif Battle of Gonzaga celebrates after knocking down a 3-pointer against UConn. Both schools rose to national prominence around the same time - albeit with different moments in the sun. UConn benefitted from being in the Big East Conference since 1979. While they were small fish in a big pond at the conference's inception - much less rich in basketball tradition than the likes of Syracuse, Georgetown, and St. John's among others - they used their affiliation with the conference to pull in bigger recruits.
![[Few and Hurley chat on the court at Madison Square Garden before the game begins]](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2024/12/15/02/93160841-14194035-image-m-2_1734229890536.jpg)
