UConn Amazes March Madness Fans With 30-0 Run in Dominant Elite 8 Win vs. Illinois

Erin WalshMarch 31, 2024

Maddie Meyer/Getty Images

UConn played like a team ready to repeat as NCAA champions on Saturday night at TD Garden in Boston.

The No. 1-seeded Huskies downed the No. 3-seeded Illinois Fighting Illini 77-52 to clinch a berth in the Final Four against the winner of Saturday’s matchup between Clemson and Alabama.

UConn’s win was spearheaded by an incredible 30-0 run that started near the end of the first half and extended into the second half. Once the Huskies began cooking, there wasn’t much Illinois could do to stop them.

Bleacher Report @BleacherReportUCONN JUST WENT ON A 30-0 RUN 🔥

Dominant. pic.twitter.com/svMnbJxUI9

Big man Donovan Clingan was unstoppable for the Huskies on Saturday, finishing with 22 points, 10 rebounds and one assist. He was a major reason why the team went on its 30-0 run.

Cam Spencer finished with 11 points, 12 rebounds and five assists and Hassan Diarra finished with 11 points, three rebounds and two assists.

While UConn was dominant overall, March Madness fans were particularly impressed with its unprecedented 30-0 run:

Bryan Fischer @BryanDFischerUConn after Illinois tied the game: 📈 pic.twitter.com/17cL2udaCw

Matt Norlander @MattNorlanderUpdate from press row here, via the great Phil Chardis (former UConn writer-turned-SID): UConn’s 30-0 run tonight is the program’s longest since it started a game vs. New Hampshire 32-0 in 1990.

Jean-Ralphio Saperstein @Sum_RnB_4freeUCONN. 30-0 run in college , never seen it

Field Yates @FieldYatesWe just saw a 30-0 run

Speechless

Zach Osterman @ZachOstermanIt’s hard to put together a 30-0 run in football and they give you twice as many points for scoring.

Jeff Goodman @GoodmanHoopsIllinois has scored a GRAND TOTAL OF 4 POINTS while Donovan Clingan has been on the court.

Pat McAfee @PatMcAfeeShowUConn flips a switch like Thanos snaps his fingers… IT’S OVER pic.twitter.com/D8OxNfDXGE

Matthew Alvarez @matthewa_10A 30-0 Run by UConn is insane

Nick Dawson @dawsonnick90Nahhh a 30-0 run is nuts… UConn different

Zach Wargo @ZachWargo3Just saw the UConn score and… Wow, they’re on an entire different level compared to everyone else, a 30-0 run is insane!

Julio Gonzales Jr. @JGonzalesJr10A 30-0 run! I don’t think I have ever seen anything like that. UCONN is on fire 🔥 🔥 🔥 Unreal!! #MarchMadness

Evan Curry @bigEv216UCONN was really on a 30-0 run.
Just completely UNBELIEVABLE

Kiss My Grits @FLDawg80I’m definitely no UConn fan, but going on a 30-0 run to open the 2nd half of an Elite 8 game is mind-boggling. UConn will most certainly repeat as National Champions if they keep playing like this. #MarchMadness

UConn was the team to beat entering this year’s NCAA Tournament, but they proved on Saturday why they should be the most feared program in the country at this point in the season.

If the Huskies end up repeating as champions, they’ll be the first team since Florida in 2006 and 2007.