INDIANAPOLIS — The team that always finds a way to win this time of year ran into a roadblock even it couldn’t conquer.

Eight days after the stunning 19-point comeback to knock off Duke — the overall top seed — second-seeded Connecticut’s postseason magic ran dry. The Vampire Huskies faced a better version of the Blue Devils.

From November through March, there was an aura of invincibility about No. 1 Michigan, from the Wolverines’ 40-point domination of Gonzaga to win the Players Era Festival title to cruising to the Big Ten regular-season crown.

Monday night, the transfer-portal-built Wolverines completed one of the most dominant seasons in recent memory, and they did so on a night their star, Yaxel Lendeborg, clearly wasn’t right on a sprained left knee, and they couldn’t hit from the 3-point arc.

It didn’t matter.

Dusty May’s Wolverines were inevitable, methodically wearing down UConn, 69-63, for their first national championship since 1989 at Lucas Oil Stadium. It marked the Huskies’ first NCAA Tournament loss in the Sweet 16 or later since 2009, ending a streak of 18 straight victories.

“We talked about it early in the season, to hang a center banner — Michigan has got a proud tradition, there’s a lot of banners on the side,” May said. “There’s one lonely banner up in the middle.”

Now, there are two.

UConn made Michigan (37-3) earn it, playing them tougher than anyone in this tournament. The Huskies (34-5) outrebounded the Wolverines by seven, held them to by far their lowest point total of the tournament — they were averaging 95.2 entering the night — and actually put game pressure on them.

“If you’d told me we would shoot it this poorly and [be] dominated on the glass and still find a way to win, I don’t know if I would have believed you,” May said. “This team just found a way all season.”

It wasn’t until Trey McKenney’s right-wing 3-pointer — the second Michigan triple in 15 attempts — that the result no longer felt in doubt. It pushed the lead to nine with 1:49 to go.

Thunderous “Let’s go Blue” chants followed. The Big Ten was finally going to crown a national champion, 26 years after Michigan State cut down the nets.

Elliot Cadeau, the West Orange, N.J., native and one of four key offseason additions from the transfer portal, scored a team-high 19 points. He was the Final Four’s Most Outstanding Player. So much for the junior being a potential weakness for the Wolverines.

“Man, it means the world to me. I’m just so proud of myself, where I came from,” he said. “Last year I was really down on myself, a lot of people doubted me, and I’m just so proud of myself to be able to say I was the most outstanding player and win a national championship at the same time.”

Lendeborg added 13, and Morez Johnson Jr. had 12 points and 10 rebounds. In the final game of his storied career, Alex Karaban had 17 points and 11 rebounds to lead UConn. Tarris Reed Jr. added 13 points and 14 rebounds to cap a brilliant tournament.

UConn had major foul issues at halftime: two fouls apiece on Reed, Ball and Silas Demary Jr. Coach Dan Hurley felt without those issues, the Huskies could’ve taken a lead into the break. Instead, they were down four, and after five straight points from Cadeau, the deficit was 11 with 12:47 remaining.

They had it down to five with possession, but Karaban turned it over, Aday Mara threw down an alley-oop and Karaban missed a 3 on the other end. There was one last gasp, Connecticut getting to within four on a Ball 3-pointer with 37.2 seconds to go. But with a chance to get even closer, Karaban’s 3 grazed the side of the rim. Another wild comeback wasn’t in the cards. Michigan was too good, even on a night it wasn’t at its best.

“It’s one of the better teams that I’ve played, certainly since I’ve been a college basketball coach,” Hurley said. “They’re legit. They definitely deserved to win the national championship. They’re clearly the best team in the country this year.”