With Gordon hitting jump shots from the perimeter, the Yellow Jackets’ defense loosened up on Okafor inside, and the 6-foot-10 junior center finished the first half with 10 points and seven rebounds.
Georgia Tech’s shooting woes in the opening half were pivotal as the Yellow Jackets made only 10 of 34 shots from the floor, including two of 10 from three-point range.
To make matters worse, Georgia Tech hit just four of 11 free throws before the intermission.
Connecticut’s victory was its first NCAA basketball championship since the Huskies beat Duke 77-74 in 1999.