UConn Hoops: Huskies outlast Villanova in Philly
Just over four years ago, the UConn men’s basketball team visited Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia, PA to face off against Villanova. The Wildcats stood as perennial contenders and were less than two years removed from their second championship in three years. Thanks to their experience, talent and poise, the Cats came out on top by six points. In the nearly half-decade since, the positions have been reversed.
UConn has returned to the mighty power in college basketball they once were, as the reigning national champions. Villanova? They now are the team with the second-year coach doing his best to prove that he has what it takes to be in the conversation.
On Saturday night, the No. 1 Huskies and Wildcats faced off in a strange role-reversal. Ultimately, in Connecticut’s biggest nail biter of the year, they emerged with a tight 66-65 victory, just as Villanova did in 2020. Coach Dan Hurley has long been criticized for his inability to win the close road ones, but he defied that narrative in Philly.
Tristen Newton was the star of the show in primetime, making the plays that counted. He delivered in a big way on the road again with 25 points, though it took him 17 shots to get there. The guard also had the biggest assist of the night, finding Alex Karaban in the corner to hit the shot that put the Huskies up for the last time. Newton was once again the best player in a tough road environment, having a similarly great game to his performance against Kansas. It’s hard to see UConn lose too many when Newton is playing this well.
Karaban, the recipient of Newton’s assist, had a solid outing himself. His 10-5-2 line didn’t blow anyone away, but he made the plays that counted. The team, especially Karaban, looked like they knew how to take care of business, even if some players’ production didn’t look as great as they often do on paper.
As the matchup went on, it felt like Connecticut left opportunities to run away with the game on the table. They had three different stretches of 11 straight or more, but found themselves back into a tie following each one. Both sides had spotty shooting from deep (30% each) and minimized turnovers. They were even on the glass at 30 apiece, a demonstration of a game that was well-matched.
To start, the Huskies opened on an absolute heater. Spencer notched an old-fashioned three point play, Karaban and Newton drained triples and Samson Johnson slammed home an alley oop. If you blinked, you might have missed UConn’s 11-0 run.
Though not matching Newton’s day, Spencer didn’t play poorly. He shot the ball less well than he often does (3-11 from the field and 1-6 from three) but his intangibles of being such an experienced player helped out in a big way. Whether it was a timely rebound or a great read, he played a critical part in the win, even if it didn’t show in the box score.
Even with that initial punch to the face, Villanova slowly managed to turn the tides. First, they managed to stop Connecticut’s scoring and then they began to pour it on themselves. They didn’t get their first bucket until nearly six minutes in, but turned it into an 18-5 streak.
Staying composed, the Huskies put together another 11 straight, six coming from Spencer. This helped them carry a five point lead into the half, but it felt like they left a fair bit on the table.
Clingan also made the most of his 24 minutes, posting six points and seven boards. His offensive production was fine, but he made a significant defensive impact, one that was increasingly important with Johnson largely struggling.
It took all of two minutes for the Wildcats to even the contest again and neither side managed to gain much separation. That was until UConn turned a four point deficit in the complete other direction. Newton turned it on again, collecting eight points in fewer than three minutes as a part of a 13-0 run.
As was the case with their other runs, the Huskies completely squandered it. Before long, the teams were tied at 54. Newton went toe to toe with Villanova though, hitting a few shots to take the lead. His biggest play perhaps, was his read to find Karaban in the corner for the dagger three pointer. From there, UConn won the free throw game and it was over, even with an Armstrong buzzer beater to cut the score to one.
In a world where so many top teams lose to teams just outside the top 25 in fierce road environments, The Huskies did well to hold on here. They’ll stay strong at No. 1 this Monday after a pair of extremely convincing victories.
Connecticut will get a well-deserved eight day break before they return to Hartford to play Xavier this Sunday.
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