For a while, it looked like the bad mojo from #10 UConn’s horrible second half against Stanford had followed them across the country. During the first ten minutes of their clash with Washington on Sunday, UConn struggled to shoot (they missed their first six three-point attempts). They struggled to hang onto the ball, committing turnovers. And they struggled to rebound.
As the straights looked dire, something clicked for the east coast Huskies. Led by fifth-year senior Lasan Kromah, UConn asserted themselves on both ends of the court. Defense begat offense, and when the shots started falling, UConn ran away with their tenth victory on the season.
Washington (6-5) showed some promise. They forced 15 UConn turnovers and shot 44.4% from the floor. But they were consistently frustrated by Kromah’s defense. His five steals are a UConn season-high. His length bothered Washington, and he was constantly in passing lanes. Kromah was the catalyst that sparked UConn’s intensity and carried them to a 82-70 victory.
After being rendered incapable of scoring against Stanford’s zone defense several days earlier, UConn punished Washington with great cuts, improved ball movement and fantastic shooting. The three-pointers still weren’t falling at the inflated rate they have been (44% on the season, 33% against Washington), but UConn’s 54.9% field goal percentage was a season high. Senior guard Shabazz Napier led the team with 20 points, nine of which came from ten free throw attempts — an area where UConn has struggled this season. Kromah added 14 and junior Ryan Boatright contributed 16.
As UConn breaks for Christmas, they will do so on a high note. Their loss against Stanford will inevitably drop them in the rankings when the national polls are released on Monday, but there were many positives to draw from their latest victory.
Notes:
- After being stripped of his starting role in favor of Amida Brimah, Phil Nolan responded well. His eight points and five rebounds were a nice statement. He also played with good energy. It would not be surprising to see him back in the starting five this week.
- UConn attempted 25 free throws, making 22. That’s great news for head coach Kevin Ollie, who had been emphasizing their need to get to the line more.
- Omar Calhoun is in some kind of slump. He missed all three of his three-point attempts on Sunday. He’s now at 28.8% on the year. Truly horrific. Look for him to get another chance to right the ship against Eastern Washington, but if he struggles again, Ollie may make the move to insert Kromah into Calhoun’s lineup spot.
- One of the best parts about facing Washington is getting to relive some great moments in UConn history — namely Rip Hamilton’s last-second shot against Washington in the Sweet Sixteen in 1998, and Rashad Anderson’s heroic threes in 2006.
- One of the worst things about facing Washington is that both teams get to use the “Huskies” nickname. Washington should be forced to change it. They’re just wasting it and it’s very confusing.
Up Next:
UConn plays in their fourth arena in five games, as they take on Eastern Washington in Bridgeport on Saturday (Dec. 28th). Tip is at 1pm and you can watch at home on SNY.
