On Sunday afternoon, the #19 UConn Huskies continued their hot start to the season, beating a sneaky good Boston University team 77-60 before 9,195 at Gampel Pavilion.
It was all UConn early, as they exploded out of the gates for a quick 10-0 lead. Their first half cushion would grow to as many as 17 points, as their defense begat offense, and they once again showed their true potential —- albeit, briefly.
Unfortunately for UConn, the story of this game was similar to other up and down affairs. They squandered their big lead completely, even falling behind momentarily in the second half.
“We kinda took our foot off the gas pedal,” said coach Kevin Ollie after the game.
Nowhere was that more evident than on the backboards. UConn hit intermission minus seven on the glass, and gave up an incredible 19 offensive rebounds. Boston had ample opportunities by shooting 32 three-pointers, making only eight. As the defense was forced to shift out of position to account for open shooters, they were often in poor rebounding position.
Shabazz Napier once again led the team in rebounding, finishing with 12 in the contest. He was his usual, spectacular self — flirting with yet another triple-double. His final stat line: 12 points, 12 rebounds, six assists and two steals.
As Napier continued his assault on every stat-sheet column, DeAndre Daniels built upon his hot second half against Detroit, scoring early and often on Sunday.
His 11 first half points matched his season high. He looked comfortable on the post, as well as from mid-range. “He was aggressive,” said Ollie. “He’s going to keep shooting. It was good that he stepped up.”
By the time the final horn sounded, UConn (4-0) had navigated their way to a 77-60 win, and an even 36-36 on the glass. It was their final tuneup before traveling to Madison Square Garden to take on the Benedict Arnolds of Boston College.
Revenge is a dish best served cold.
Notes:
- Ryan Boatright continued his solid play, finishing with 16 points on 6-11 shooting. Both he and Napier are really in a good place.
- That was the good. This is the bad. Boatright and Napier did a really poor job of staying in front of their men on defense. Luckily for them, BU shot a pathetic 25% from three, but if they continue to allow their opponents to get open threes — and the team can’t rebound — there’s an ugly game or two in their immediate future.
- Amida Brimah had two blocks, but was called for four fouls. It’s something he needs to get a handle on as he’ll be asked to match up with real big men fairly soon.
- Career versus Boston College, Kevin Ollie went for 7.5 points, 2.75 rebounds, 4.38 assists in eight games — including a 14/5/4 performance in a 1993 victory.
Up Next:
Thursday night (11/21), UConn takes on Boston College at Madison Square Garden as part of the 2K Sports Classic. Tip is at 7pm and can be seen on ESPN2.
