UConn Hoops: Huskies outlast Heels in top 10 showdown
Going into Tuesday, UConn had an injury report comparable in size to a little kid’s Christmas list. Turf toe here, an ankle sprain there; you name the injury and UConn had it. It’s not an ideal quality for a team to have going into such a tough stretch, but was something they were forced to withstand nonetheless. Even with the lengthy pregame report, the Huskies amazingly had their first full roster since mid-November. And it paid off.
Connecticut won the game in convincing fashion, weathering all sorts of runs from their Chapel Hill-based adversaries. Momentum swung strong for both sides and tensions were high with a pair of technical fouls. But the Huskies played to their strengths to come out on top, even when the chips were down.
The two areas they’ve really struggled in—free throw and 3-point—shooting didn’t disappear with 56% and 32% marks, respectively. But they held off one of the better rebounding teams and big men in the country, winning the battle on the glass, 43-33. In addition, they whipped the ball around a solid Tar Heel defense to the tune of 25 assists, a season-high.
Cam Spencer continues to demonstrate on a national stage why he was one of the most valuable transfers in the portal. He absolutely crushed it Tuesday, scoring 23 points to go along with seven boards and six assists. Spencer was fiery and got everyone excited—perhaps too much—even earning a technical foul. The grad student’s ability to score on any defense was on display, making the defense pay for whatever they gave him. He also didn’t appear too slowed down by his roughed up toes, though he did look a bit gimpy early in the second half.
Someone who had something of a redemption game was Alex Karaban. Not that he’s been bad lately, but his shooting has taken a pretty serious dip since he went 4-8 against Texas. Including this contest, he’s hit just two of his last 24 3-point tries. Karaban found other ways to contribute with shots on the interior, nine rebounds and five dimes, something that should help build back his confidence.
The Huskies got off to another slow start, failing to get a bucket in nearly the first two minutes of action. North Carolina used this opportunity to get ahead by four, but a Spencer triple and midrange jumper silenced the Heels. Armando Bacot and Donovan Clingan traded stops and buckets on each other in an intense battle of the bigs.
Clingan, as great as he was projected to be going into the season, hasn’t been quite as effective as the Huskies may have hoped. He’s been outperformed by backup Samson Johnson a number of times, with the Togo-native creating energy for the team that Clingan has struggled to do this year. Perhaps he’s still struggling to manage his injuries, but his foul trouble and difficulties on the offensive end have been problematic when he’s on the floor.
Tristen Newton continued his sensational play with a three from NBA-distance and layup, putting the Huskies ahead. R.J. Davis, a Hudson Valley-native, answered with a deep shot of his own as Connecticut made a few subsequent excellent defensive stops.
Solo Ball hit on a few tough shots, but the Tar Heels connected on some looks of their own to put together seven straight. Newton kept his poise through the chaos, scoring five straight and finding Johnson on an alley-oop.
The graduate guard from El Paso is having a campaign that’s impossible to ignore on the national scale. After dropping 31 against No. 5 Kansas, Newton played a more well-rounded game against UNC. He scored 14 points to go along with five boards and five dimes, getting his teammates involved. The Huskies success this season rests largely in Newton’s hands and he’s not letting them down. Now No. 5 in the KenPom POTY rankings, he’s been a killer for the team, stepping up whenever needed.
A 10-1 Husky run spearheaded by Spencer and Hassan Diarra got the Garden fired up, as Connecticut looked to finish the half strong. They nearly did that, but a Bacot putback and Harrison Ingram’s three at the horn had the Huskies up just five at the break.
Clingan picked up his second foul late in the first and his third on the first defensive possession of the final half. With the Bristol-native out, UConn exploded. They scored eight straight and then Spencer added another from downtown but drew a technical on the celebration. Another unnecessary foul came on Newton after a deep triple from Ball, the third he committed.
The loss of momentum from those mistakes wasn’t immediate, but it did take effect slowly. It started with the Huskies having trouble scoring, but over the course of a few minutes, the Heels used their full court press to go on a 9-1 run.
Freshman phenom Stephon Castle, who missed UConn’s last six games due to a knee injury, calmed the storm with a nice drive to the cup but Davis kept UNC rolling on offense. The teams went back and forth over the next few minutes, with the Tar Heels unable to cut into the Huskies’ lead and UConn unable to pull away.
That was until Karaban and Ball each nailed massive triples and all of a sudden, the Huskies led by 15. The run was a product of a series of errors from North Carolina like turnovers and missed bunnies.
Ball has had his three best games in Storrs South, a place where he looks especially comfortable. Tuesday was his best game by a fair bit, connecting on three of his six tries from downtown as a part of his 13 points. He’s benefitted considerably from Castle’s absence, getting a number of chances he wouldn’t have if his fellow freshman was in the fold. It helped Ball shake off the first-year jitters and he and the team as a whole are better for it.
They’ll get a breather in their next game at home against Arkansas Pine Bluff, one of the 20 worst teams in the sport.
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