Notes and Quotes: UConn Handles Central Connecticut

HARTFORD - Daniel Hamilton joined some elite company at UConn with a triple-double Wednesday afternoon and the unranked Huskies rolled to a 99-52 victory over Central Connecticut State at the XL Center.

Here's a closer look at how things went for the Huskies (8-3).

WHAT WENT WELL

1. MAGIC MAN: Hamilton got the hard part of the triple-double done early with assists (11) and rebounds (11), but had to come on late to add the points (11). The accomplishment is only the 11th time in school history, with Shabazz Napier being the only player to do it twice.

KEVIN OLLIE'S TAKE: "He's just a marvelous offensive player. The ball in his hands, he's magical. I want him more aggressive, but I also want him to be aggressive when he sees a double team and get it to his teammates. He does that natural and that's something a coach can't teach him."

2. STAND AND DELIVER: With Amida Brimah out six-to-eight weeks with a broken right middle finger the Huskies need everyone to do a little more. Shonn Miller (25 points) and Kentan Facey (10 points, 12 rebounds) did their part and the defense looked better in its second game without the big man.

MILLER'S TAKE: "We just knew different people had to step up in different ways, whether it's defensively, offensively, running the floor transition - just everything. Everybody had to step up."

3. HOT SHOTS: For the third straight game the Huskies finished over 60 percent from the field - hitting 60.3 against the Blue Devils (1-9), including 62.5 percent in the second half. Rodney Purvis continued his torrid start to the season, hitting 5-for-9 from the field and finishing in double digits scoring for the 11th straight game with 16.

OLLIE'S TAKE: "Rodney is still shooting the ball well, I don't want him to leave for Christmas. I want him to stay right here, I hope he doesn't lose his shooting touch. I'm going to call his mother and have him out shooting."

4. SPORTSMANSHIP: Ollie is close friends with CCSU coach Howie Dickenman, who coached him at UConn while on Jim Calhoun's staff. So, with the game out of hand in the second half, Ollie made sure the Huskies held the ball in the waning seconds and didn't reach 100 points.

DICKENMAN'S TAKE: "I appreciate Kevin's unwillingness to let his team score in triple digits. I am going to call him tonight and say thank you very much."

WHAT NEEDS WORK

1. OUT OF THE GATE: No much to find fault with today, but the Huskies came out of the gate a little flat on defense - especially inside without Brimah - and allowed CCSU to stay in the game for much of the first half.

OLLIE'S TAKE: "I knew it was going to be nip and tuck, I think it was 30-25, and then we went on a 16-1 run and that really blew the game open."

UNSUNG HERO

Facey posted his second career double-double - both against CCSU - in 21 minutes off the bench. He might not be Brimah in the paint, but he's stronger than the center on the glass and seems to be more comfortable overall on the floor this season. He also finished with five of the team's 12 offensive boards.

MISC. NOTES: UConn played with a short bench minus Brimah (broken finger) and reserve guard Sam Cassell Jr. (sprained ankle). Brimah sat out Sunday's win over UMass-Lowell with a testicular contusion, but returned to practice Monday where he broke his right middle finger. Brimah was scheduled to have surgery Wednesday afternoon, but due to a complication will have it Thursday. He is expected to miss six-to-eight weeks. … Cassell was injured during warm-ups againt UMass, but played three minutes. … Players are on a three-day break and will return next week with a game at Texas on Tuesday.