UConn Hoops: Huskies blast Providence, spoil Senior Night
Heading into their game against the second-ranked UConn men’s basketball team, Providence had everything to play for. Not only was it their Senior Night, they were also positioned squarely on the NCAA’s tournament bubble, as the first team out per ESPN. On the other hand, the Huskies had nothing but pride to play for. Having long since clinched the Big East regular season, they looked to keep their momentum going into the postseason.
These differing motivations showed in the opening moments. Devin Carter went absolutely nuclear, hitting a bunch of threes on his way to 12 points in the first 4:01. UConn had no answer, trailing 15-2 early. Slowly but surely, the Huskies clawed their way back into the game, with some energy injected thanks to a Dan Hurley technical.
By the time the under-8 media timeout hit, Connecticut had tied the game back up and Providence was lost. Stephon Castle hit a three and Providence never led again. The 38-9 run the Huskies went on after the Friars blitzed them was absolutely clinical. Afterwards, it wasn’t much of a game, with UConn leading by as many as 26.
It was an unusually good team effort, with most of the players who were in for more than a moment contributing nicely. Typically a few players will really do well and the others will lag, but everyone did enough on Saturday.
Alex Karaban led the way in the scoring column, hitting 4 of 6 attempts from long range. While he was the best scorer, others made more contributions in other aspects of the game.
Tristen Newton didn’t wow anyone in one particular category, but his 12 points, 8 boards and 5 assists were great together. He made the right plays at the right times, helping impact the win even though his 3/12 from the field wasn’t impressive.
The Donovan Clingan and Samson Johnson tandem was excellent in this one, shutting down Josh Oduro (13 points, 5/16 FG). They also combined for 19 points and 13 rebounds on 9/12 shooting, not giving up much when the other was out. The pair was great on the inside, slamming home a number of dunks that took all the energy out of the AMP.
Castle also had a nice outing, with 14 points, 6 boards and 4 steals. He’s been a bit up and down lately with a great game against Seton Hall, and a less impressive one versus No. 8 Marquette. This one was another that suggests he can make good things happen at the next level, almost locked in currently as a top-20 draft pick.
The Huskies locked in their winningest regular season in program history, finishing at 28-3. They also have the most wins in Big East history with 18. Though we’ve reached the end of this part of the campaign, their progress in this season’s checklist has just begun.
Next up is the Big East Tournament, where the Huskies will suit up on Thursday against the winner of Butler-Xavier.
--------------------------------------------------------------
• Subscribe to our YouTube Channel