The UConn Huskies held off the Illinois Fighting Illini to make their third national title appearance in the past four years.

It had all the makings of a special weekend for Illinois at the Final Four — until UConn spoiled the party early, ending the Illini’s season Saturday with a 71-62 win.

Illinois meets UConn in the Final Four at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis: Recap, results, score, live updates, stats, highlights.

The Illini held a tight defense against UConn and managed to shrink the Huskies' lead to 6 points with seven minutes left on the clock in the second half.

UConn defeated Illinois 71-62 in the Final Four to advance to its third national championship game in four years, extending a dominant March Madness run under Dan Hurley.

Illinois basketball will play in its first Final Four game in 21 years. Standing in the way of the Illini and a spot in the national championship games is Dan Hurley's powerhouse UConn team. Tip off is just after 5 p.

Illinois basketball continues to struggle against UConn after the Final Four loss. Now a huge stat proves how the Huskies own the series.