Well, that was exciting.
Shabazz Napier scored 19 of his 24 points in the second half and OT to lead UConn to a well-fought victory over St. Joseph’s. This was no one-man show, though, with big games from juniors Ryan Boatright (17 points) and DeAndre Daniels (18 points), and one critical three-point play from Amida Brimah.
With 39 seconds remaining and UConn trailing by 3, Brimah corralled a missed Napier layup and then laid in a beautiful, athletic baby-hook AND ONE to tie the game up.
Despite a really clever play from Kevin Ollie, Napier’s runner at the buzzer rimmed out, and we were headed to overtime. UConn got a quick lead and made 15/16 free throws in overtime to maintain their cushion throughout the extra period.
Early on, it looked like St. Joseph’s might run the Huskies out of the building, missing very few shots throughout the first half, including going 18/20 from the line in the game, unusual for a team that is certainly not known for good free throw shooting.
In the end, it was an exciting and satisfying win for UConn, with every starter contributing and Lasan Kromah and Brimah offering real value from the bench. Napier gets another signature win to add to his growing legacy. Next up, (probably) Villanova.
Who else thinks we should move that one to MSG?
Kevin Olliver made an appearance twice!