Notes & Quotes: UConn Fights Hard But Loses to No. 9 Houston
HARTFORD, Conn. – For a half, the UConn Huskies looked like they might be able to run with one of the nation’s top teams.
The second half was a different story for the injury-riddled Huskies, though. Ninth-ranked Houston used a 17-4 run out of the break to build a big lead, the fended off a late Huskies’ charge to win 71-63 Thursday at the XL Center in front of 10,095 fans.
The Cougars (24-1, 11-1 American Athletic Conference) won their ninth straight behind 18 points from DeJon Jarreau and Armoni Brooks’ 12. Corey Davis Jr. added 10.
The Huskies (13-12, 4-8) dropped their third straight and fourth over the last five. Christian Vital led the way with 15 points, Sidney Wilson added 12 and Tarin Smith 10. Josh Carlton added eight points and 10 rebounds.
WHAT WENT WELL
No Quit – Short-handed and trailing by as many as 17 in the second half, the Huskies could have packed it up. However, they made a game of it late. Tyler Polley and Wilson hit consecutive 3-pointers to cut Houston’s lead to 61-54 with 3:23 remaining. Vital could have cut it closer, but a UConn fast-break was negated after the official called a 30-second violation on Houston despite one second remaining on the clock (UConn coach Dan Hurley said it was a blown call). Vital had to settle for one foul shot, and UConn would get no closer than six the rest of the way.
Dan Hurley: “We don’t do that anymore … We show up and play like UConn men. We might not be everything we need to be in terms of being whole and everything we need to be what UConn fans are used to seeing on the court. But, we aren’t a bunch of cowards. We aren’t a bunch of cowards and soft. We are tough, we’re improving. We are developing a culture here of not giving in and playing through. Competing and digging our heels in when things get hard, that’s who we have to be here.”
Tarin Smith: “We’ve shown the ability to give ourselves a chance. We know we are going to give ourselves a chance, we just have to get over that hump. … We have to figure out ways to win games.”
WATCH POST-GAME VIDEO FROM PLAYERS INCLUDING JOSH CARLTON, CHRISTIAN VITAL, AND MORE HERE!
WHAT NEEDS WORK
Missing Easy Money - The missed foul shots were a killer, with Carlton setting the tone with a 0-4 start. If not for a 5-for-12 free-throw outing in the first half, UConn might have had a lead, not trailing by three, 32-29. The Huskies have been middle of the pack at the line all season, coming at 69.5 percent to rank seventh, but a woeful 56 percent (14-for-25) from the line against Houston was a factor in this loss.
Hurley: “Just between the second half start there and the free-throw line, that’s the path to victory that we talk about even missing who we are missing there was still a path to victory there even though it was quite narrow. But it showed itself there and we weren’t able to capitalize.”
Carlton: “Free throws can win or lose games, so we’d rather capitalize on those easy chances. We have to make sure we come out with those points.”
Smith: “I forget what we were from the line, but I know it wasn’t good. Make those, you win the game. But it’s part of the game and you go back and work on it. But yeah, that hurt.”
Three Bombed – The Huskies came in as the second-best 3-point defense (.314) in the AAC, but was lit up from the perimeter. The Cougars shot 52.4 percent there (11-for-21), including 6-for-10 in the first half. Houston, which leads the American on 3-point defense (.270) also clamped down on the Huskies’ 3-balls, as UConn went 7-for-21.
Injury Count - Nobody’s fault here, the Huskies just have too many banged up players to run at full speed – especially against the ninth-best team in the country. With their starting backcourt out of action along with a couple front-court reserves (Kassoum Yakwe, Mamadou Diarra) the bench is minimal. Houston, however, thrived with its second unit, picking up 21 points before the break and 42 for the game. UConn had nine points from three subs.
Houston coach Kelvin Sampson: “We are deep. … We have ten guys that all can play. .. I feel comfortable giving all our guys minutes.”
MISC.
Alterique Gilbert (shoulder) warmed up before the game, but sat out for the fifth straight game. Jalen Adams (knee) was also on the sideline. … Kwintin Williams also remains suspended indefinitely. … Three scouts were in attendance for the game. … UConn has just one remaining home game at the XL, which is Feb. 24 against Cincinnati.
UP NEXT
The Huskies are at SMU, Thursday, 9 p.m.
