Notes and Quotes: UConn Over Ohio State

A balanced UConn attack led UConn over Ohio State in front of 10,167 fans Saturday afternoon at Gampel Pavilion. Here's a breakdown of the game:

WHAT WENT WELL

1. EARLY ARRIVAL: The Huskies didn't have to worry about mounting a comeback because they came ready to go. Daniel Hamilton's alley-oop to Amida Brimah got UConn off and running, and five players had at least six points in the first half. After A.J. Harris hit a 3-pointer to make it 20-16 inside of 12 minutes, UConn closed the half on a 25-8 run.

Kevin Ollie's take: "I thought we came out and played very aggressive from the start. We didn't have too many keys, just hit first."

2. OMAR: The season-high 14 points was nice from Omar Calhoun, but the senior guard did more than score. Calhoun (5-for-5, 4-for-4 on 3-pointers) chased down an offensive rebound that led to a three-point play from Hamilton - making it 27-18 - and was solid on the defensive end.

Ollie's take: "Omar played a huge game for us. … I was very proud of him. It wasn't just his scoring, but he was in punching (doing little things)."

3. DEFENDING HOME TURF: The Huskies held OSU leading scorer Marc Loving (17.1 ppg) to 14 - most in garbage time - and the Buckeyes to a season-low in points. OSU shot just 35.7 percent from the field, turned the ball over 13 times and was just 5-for-22 on 3s.

Ohio State head coach Thad Matta: "I thought UConn came out and really attacked us. We handled the adversity early, but I thought the biggest thing was our inability to finish. … (UConn played) one of the best first halves of basketball I've seen in a long time."

4. BALANCED ATTACK: Hamilton had a quiet night with nine points, four rebounds and one assists - BUT, that was a good thing for the Huskies since they spread the wealth. Five players scored at least 11 points. Miller just missed a double-double with 11 and 9, respectively, and Rodney Purvis and Sterling Gibbs each had five assists.

Ollie's take: "Everyone played well. … I really just liked the way the guys responded (off the Maryland loss)."

WHAT TO WORK ON

1. IT TAKES TWO HALVES: As good as UConn was to open the game, it failed to bring the energy to the court after the break. After Miller's basket made it 47-24, the Huskies allowed the Buckeyes to go on an 11-0 run as they went almost seven minutes with a point. They also committed five turnovers during that stretch (11 overall in the half).

Ollie's take: "We were getting good looks. … We did start turning the ball over, but we were getting good looks (on shots)."

2. SECOND CHANCES: The Huskies shot so well in the first half they didn't have many offensive rebound chances, but during the second-half lull they had too many one-and-done possession. UConn won the board battle 34-26, but had just five offensive rebounds.

3. CASHING IN: With 5:30 to play UConn was shooting 57 percent from both the field and the foul line. The free-throws were not necessary against a young Buckeye squad, but UConn can't go 5-for-9 (55.6 percent), especially after shooting 60.4 percent from the field.

Ollie's take: "We still didn't get to the foul line enough, but I can't complain."

NOTES: The Huskies do not play another game at Gampel Pavilion until Jan. 9 when they host Memphis. UConn's next three home games - UMass-Lowell, Central Connecticut State and Temple are at the XL Center. … The Huskies used the same starting lineup - Brimah, Gibbs, Hamilton, Miller and Purvis - for the ninth straight game. … OSU's Daniel Giddens returned after missing the last two games. … UConn is 2-1 against the Big Ten this season with its other win coming against Michigan. … Jae'Sean Tate led OSU with 15 points. Former UConn recruit JaQuan Lyle was 0-for-7 from the field and finished without a point. … Phil Nolan, Sam Cassell Jr. did not play, while Steve Enoch didn't play until the final minute.