Moore drives inside for two. Duke jumped out to an early 9-2 lead, but before UConn could sink, senior Ricky Moore righted the ship for the Huskies by displaying some rare flashes of offense that kept his team in it early on.

Same shot, different angle. Highlighing a 15-4 UConn run, Moore scored all 13 of his points in the first half. It was his inspired play that seemed to raise the level of the rest of his team all night long.

Both teams fight for a loose ball. Another key to UConn's success was their double-down strategy on Duke All-American center Elton Brand. He was limited to just four field goal attempts and five points in the first half.

Brand blocks a Kevin Freeman shot. Freeman was instrumental in helping to double-down on Brand in the blocks and keeping Duke out of their familiar offensive game plan. Overall, UConn outrebounded Duke 38-27 for the game.

Saunders fights off Langdon inside for the hoop. UConn's other key to victory was the significant contribution they got from their bench players. Overall, they played 43 minutes to Duke's 24 and outscored Duke's bench 17-8. It was crucial in keeping UConn's starting five fresh.

Burgess dives for a loose ball. The ability of UConn's bench to outplay Duke's and put in quality minutes not only gave their starters a chance to rest, but they ate up fouls and kept UConn close long enough for them to grab the lead in the second half while Duke's starters were still fatigued.

Langdon battles Moore for an open look. Duke's bright spot in defeat was their fifth-year senior guard Trajan Langdon. He lead the Blue Devils with 25 points, including shooting 6 of 7 from behind the three-point arc.

Rip rips the long one!  Even with all the other contributions UConn received on this night, they still depended on their "Mr. Everything" to carry the bulk of the offensive load - All-American forward Richard "Rip" Hamilton. Here he drains one of his two crucial three-pointers in the second half.

Rip likes the scene after drawing the charge. Hamilton, in what would be his last college game, was named the tournament's Most Outstanding Player. He lead all scorers with 27 points, including 16 in the second half.

Last gasp for Duke. In the final seconds, with UConn up by three, Trajan Langdon drove the length of the floor in a final attempt to tie the game, but he lost the dribble before a shot could even be attempted. Rashmael Jones grabbed the ball as the buzzer sounded and UConn had done it!

"We shocked the world!!" Khalid El-Amin jumps into the arms of Jake Voskuhl moments after the final buzzer. El Amin had struggled much of the night but he came up big down the stretch when his team needed him with two big running jump shots and two game-clinching free throws in the final seconds.

UConn's one shining moment! The picture says it all as Coach Jim Calhoun and the Huskies receive the National Championship trophy. Calhoun had been criticized over the years for failing to bring Connecticut to a Final Four despite all their Big East accomplishments, but winning it all in 1999 gives him and his team the "stamp of approval" that some critics felt they needed to be seen as a first-rate basketball program (true UConn fans already knew that to begin with, but he went out and proved it anyway!)

The Champions return home!  The newly-crowned kings of college basketball returned home to Storrs, Connecticut the following day, and needless to say they got quite a reception. From Bradley Airport to the bus ride to the UConn campus, thousands of people flocked in to greet their heroes. At Gampel Pavilion, a rally was held celebrating the win, and a mutual "thank-you" was exchanged by everyone.