ALL EYES were on the NCAAM National Championship game on Tuesday morning, and Tristen Newton delivered in a big way.

The UConn Huskies were too strong for the San Diego State Aztecs in the biggest game of the college basketball calendar, claiming a 76-59 triumph at NRG Stadium.

The Huskies came into the match heavily favoured, but the Aztecs gave them quite a scare by starting the game in terrific fashion with their three-point shooting. However, UConn edged ahead as the match went on, and ended up overpowering San Diego State with its sheer volume of offensive weapons.

Although there were plenty of contributors in the title-winning match, Newton was the one that set the tone when the Huskies fell behind at the start of the game, and continued his form into the second half.

San Diego State Aztecs (59) def. by UConn Huskies (76)

Tristen Newton – 19 points, 10 rebounds, four assists

Newton was an immense presence in a game that would have certainly drawn plenty of nerves given the stakes that came with it.

In a game that was full of plenty of scrappy defence, Newton’s 19 points look all the more impressive. No player on the court scored more points than the talented UConn guard, who had a magnificent offensive appearance.

Newton was ferocious in his attack on the man, looking to slice the San Diego State defence up whenever he could put the ball on the floor. He showed no fear against the tall timber in the paint for the Aztecs, and showed a deft touch when putting up some floaters over some of the biggest players on the court.

His rebounding was a key factor in his performance as well, crashing the boards on both ends of the court. Standing at just six-foot-five, he used his vertical leap to out-position some of the taller players. Most of his rebounds came after opposition misses, ensuring there was little to no opportunities for second chance points for the Aztecs.

Newton was a perfect reflection of the Huskies’ offence all season long. He took any opportunity the defence gave him, but was also able to make the right passes instead of taking a bad look from the field.

He finished the match shooting 5/11 from the field, 1/3 from downtown and a perfect 8/8 from the charity stripe, and was the most dangerous offensive player on the biggest of stages.