On Thursday night, UConn men's basketball returned to the bright lights of Madison Square Garden and got a statement win in their first Big East Tournament game since 2012.
Their 94-60 rout of DePaul was almost a perfect story for the third-seeded Huskies, but star guard James Bouknight left in the second half and had UConn fans holding their breath. UConn coach Dan Hurley said after the game it was cramps that sidelined the sophomore.
“He’s getting an IV,” Hurley said, after the game about Bouknight. “He’s cramping, we'll just see. Just not sure where it came from. (Our medical team) will have to have him ready tomorrow. They have to figure it out.”
R.J. Cole (eight assists), Tyrese Martin (10 rebounds), and Adama Sanogo each scored 14 points for the Huskies, while Bouknight added 10 with five points and five assists.
UConn (15-6) now advances to the tournament semifinals where they'll play No. 2 Creighton at 9 p.m. on Friday. The other semifinal game will tip-off at 6 p.m. and features No. 10 seed Georgetown against No. 5 seed Seton Hall.
Javon Freeman-Liberty led DePaul (5-14) with 19 points, while Ray Salnave added 10.
The Blue Demons led 4-3 at 17:37 of the first half, then it was all Huskies from there. UConn closed the first half on a 16-2 run to lead 45-22 at the break.
“It was really important in the first half for us to separate ourselves and to take their hope away with the level we’ve been able to play at on both ends of the court,” Hurley said. “It was a really clean performance at both ends.”
All 12 UConn players scored, including Hurley’s son, Andrew, who hit a 3-pointer to pad the Huskies' lead late in the second half.
WHAT WENT WELL
It Starts With Defense and Rebounds: The Huskies smothered DePaul, holding the Blue Demons to 36.8 percent shooting for the game and scoring 26 points off 15 turnovers. They also won the rebound battle with a season-high 53 to DePaul’s 32 and had 24 offensive rebounds that led to 21 points.
Hurley: “We were tenacious on the glass. That was a real concern of ours coming in. We’re one of the best offensive rebounding teams in the country but DePaul as well is, they are beasts on the backboards, so to dominate them on the glass the way we did … it’s a huge part of who we are, it’s part of our identity - defense and rebounding.”
Depaul Coach Dave Leitao: “If you watch them on film and study them, rarely do they make mistakes defensively. They are tough enough and they beat us up on the backboard, which is the essence of how the game is supposed to be played but also how (Dan Hurley) learned the game.”
Sharing the Wealth: Four of five starters scored in double figures, and the fifth, Isaiah Whaley, stuffed a stat sheet with five points, eight rebounds, three assists, and four blocks. The Huskies also got 37 points from the bench, led by Tyler Polley’s nine and Jalen Gaffney’s seven.
Cole: “Right now we are clicking on all cylinders. Right now we are really together. We have a lot of weapons, that’s our strong point. We have a lot of depth and a lot of people on this team, a lot of scorers, and we are all stepping up. We’re playing together, that’s what has been working for us.”
Hurley: “Our fan base is one of the best in the country and we’re just happy that we’re giving them something to be excited about in March again. It’s been a while.”
WHAT NEEDS WORK
Bird Catchers: The Bluejays have had the upper hand against the Huskies in two regular-season wins. A couple of late foul shots could have won it for the Huskies in the first meeting, but Creighton held on to win in OT, 76-74. The Bluejays then won at home, 74-66, in a game Bouknight missed with an elbow injury.
Cole: “We can’t wait to get out there and play tomorrow. That’s all I’ve got to say about that."
Martin: “We are a different team. We are at full strength and we’re probably one of the hottest teams in the country now. So to beat us, you’re going to have to do a lot of things and I don’t think this team right now is going to do that.”
Stay In the Game: Seems like every game the Huskies have someone in foul trouble early, and this time it was Josh Carlton and Andre Jackson each picking up a pair in the first half. Fortunately, the team’s depth overcame the foul trouble, but continued foul issues could come back to bite the Huskies moving on.
NOTES
UConn is 13-1 all-time against the Blue Demons. … The Huskies improved to 64-56 at the Garden. They are 37-26 in Big East Tournament games. … Akok Akok did not play.
UP NEXT
UConn's next game will be in the Big East Tournament semifinals on Friday, Mar. 12 against No. 2 seed Creighton. Tip-off is scheduled for 9 p.m. and the contest will be televised on FS1.
