“I’ll never apologize for a win.” That was UConn head coach Kevin Ollie’s opening remarks during his postgame press conference. Some may be sorry for having watched it. UConn outlasted a moderately feisty New Hampshire squad to earn their 6th win of the season on Thursday night in a game that can be summed up in one word: ugly.
The game started off well enough for the Huskies. They jumped out to an early 11-3 lead on the strength of some badly needed rebounding and tough defense. After the early run, UConn failed to extend their lead and fell victim to some horrific shooting. UConn missed 20 of their 29 shot attempts (31%) including all 7 three-pointers in the first half. To add insult to injury, they also missed 6 of their 13 free throw attempts.
Fortunately for UConn, they were playing a UNH team that was eager to out-fail the Huskies. The Wildcats shot a pathetic 23.5% in the first half and managed to get out-rebounded by a 24-25 margin. UConn’s defense can claim some responsibility for UNH’s struggles. The Huskies stole the ball 6 times and forced 9 turnovers before heading to the locker room with a 28-15 lead.
The second half wasn’t any kinder to either team. Guard Ryan Boatright elevated his game and dragged the lethargic Huskies to the finish line. Boatright finished with 19 points and 4 assists. “He did a great job running the team today,” said Ollie. He needed to because his backcourt mate Shabazz Napier struggled mightily.
After struggling in the first half the last few games, Napier didn’t do himself any favors on Thursday. At one point in the first, he went over 10 minutes between shot attempts. Even the ones he got up didn’t fall. Napier finished the game with a measly 5 points. “I don’t have the answer,” said Ollie. “I have no idea. If I had the answer, I’d be a psychiatrist or something.”
Despite Napier’s disappearance, the Huskies pushed the lead to double-digits midway through the second half. UConn’s best compliment to Boatright was freshman Omar Calhoun, who continued his recent success to play a good all-around game for the Huskies. Calhoun finished with 16 points – many of them crucial down the stretch – and, along with DeAndre Daniels, pounded the glass to give UConn their first rebounding edge of the young season (43-40).
Just when it looked like the Huskies were ready to put the game away, silly turnovers and missed shots let UNH narrow the lead. Niels Giffey, who played the game of his life only 4 days earlier, was ineffective and committed a key turnover with under 2 minutes left in the game, followed by 5 consecutive UNH points to keep the game competitive until the end.
Overall, there weren’t many positives to take from the game. The mood before tip-off was dour – due mostly to the recent conference realignment that left UConn stranded on Big East Island – and the Huskies’ play on the court did little to lift spirits. But as Boatright said after the game, “a win is a win.”
Notes:
- DeAndre Daniels got off to a really hot start and was playing with crazy energy. Unfortunately, his franticness led him to two early fouls and he was relegated to the bench for much of the first half. He still managed to finish with 7 points and 10 rebounds in only 20 minutes of game time.
- Key Ollie quote from postgame, “we’re not good enough to play this way and think we can keep winning.” He mentioned the upcoming NC State game as an example of needing to play well versus tough competition.
- Despite their first half troubles, UConn was fairly successful on their free throws. Calhoun and Boatright were 17-22 between them and each hit a clutch pair in the closing minutes.
- Tyler Olander had another tough game. Said Ollie, “he has to stop fouling. I need him in the game.”
- UConn legend Donyell Marshall was at the game and sat courtside next to Jim Calhoun. Donyell’s son is visiting UConn this weekend as a football recruit. After saying hello to Donyell, I walked into the press room and there was a framed picture of him on the wall throwing down a reverse jam against Boston College. Pretty cool.
- In NBA news, former UConn star Jeremy Lamb was sent down to the NBA’s Developmental League after a disappointing start to the season that’s seen him glued to the Oklahoma City Thunder bench. Hopefully he gets back on track with more playing time.
Next Up: The Jimmy V Classic in Madison Square Garden! As you probably know, it’s a great event that benefits cancer research in honor of former NC State coach Jimmy Valvano who lost his battle with the disease in 1993. UConn will take on NC State on Tuesday (Dec. 4th) at 9pm on ESPN.
