The second half of the national title game was a battle of highlight-reel dunks.
On one end, there was a put-back finish by Purdue’s Camden Heide that rocked State Farm Stadium.
On the other, UConn’s Samson Johnson had back-to-back lob dunks that sent the crowd into a frenzy.
Heide’s dunk was one of the standout moments in Monday’s national championship game — which Purdue ended up losing, 75-60 — and occurred just over three minutes into the second half after Purdue star Zach Edey missed the hook shot.
the second-chance shot. USA TODAY Sports
That’s when Heide came flying out of nowhere to get the rebound and slam it down, pulling Purdue within seven of UConn.
Moments later “Slamson” Johnson, as CBS play-by-play broadcaster Ian Eagle referred to him at one point, had two emphatic lob dunks for the Huskies.
On the first dunk, the lob pass went right over the head of Edey to an airborne Johnson for the slam with 15:23 left in the game.
The second time around, Johnson handed the ball off to Tristen Newton and then cut right to the rim for another lob pass, which he put into the bucket with authority.
“Special delivery to Johnson,” Eagle exclaimed on the broadcast.
It wasn’t just the dunks that caught viewers’ attention on Monday night.
A brief exchange between UConn coach Dan Hurley and Edey was the talk of social media in the first half.
Hurley didn’t like a screen set by Edey, and during a timeout, he mentioned something to the officials as Edey walked by.
The Purdue big man didn’t seem to like the comment and appeared to say something to Hurley.
Hurley then returned fire by appearing to reply back to Edey before moving on with the game.
UConn’s second consecutive national championship Monday made the Huskies the first college team to repeat in March Madness since Florida in 2006-07.
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