UConn Hoops: Huskies survive Providence in Gampel 'mudfight'
Not every game has to be pretty. As easy as the top-ranked UConn men’s basketball made it look against Xavier this past weekend, things were strictly the opposite against Providence on Wednesday. From the jump, the Huskies were locked into an absolute mudfight and couldn’t get any separation. As active as either of the teams were, the refs were more engaged.
Perhaps they were excited about new whistles, or it was the physicality of a spirited conference matchup, but the officials were not afraid to make calls. The teams shot a combined 62 free throws in a regulation game that lasted over two and a half hours.
“I think we were prepared for this type of game,” UConn coach Dan Hurley said. “Huge credit to Providence. Defensively, they’ve been great all year. They’re very physical. The offensive rebounds before the first media timeout were an embarrassment. We gutted it out. It’s not going to go in our highlight reel. We dealt with adversity, but we’re at 9-1 halfway through [conference play].”
Providence coach Kim English had similar feelings on the matchup.
“Great game, Big East game,” English noted. “Very physical very tough. They can play every type of game. Our guys competed. We don’t have the depth to press for 40 minutes. We lost a few players, so foul trouble really hurt us. We need to get better on the backboards, with our discipline.”
Regardless, the Huskies emerged victorious. The team’s ability to hit from the charity stripe late was one of the bigger differences. Providence made 11 of their 22 such tries in the second half compared to UConn’s 21/25. Another big factor in the ugliness of the game was that Connecticut shot a measly 17% from downtown, compared to the Friars’ 22%. Put simply, the contest was not easy on the eyes.
“The Big East, man; There’s nothing like this,” Hurley said. “Me and Kim [English] looked at each other in the second half and smiled. These games are wars. These are steel cage matches. There are a lot of fouls. Given the way this game went, I thought they could’ve called 50 more fouls.”
The star of the brawl was Steph Castle. The freshman has shown a number of flashes throughout the year on defense, but this was the first game where his offense really shined. Especially as it felt like scoring was impossible down the stretch, Castle was there. He scored 20 points and grabbed five boards on 7-14 shooting. He also drilled a pair of threes that were tremendous for the team’s energy.
“Steph had a coming out party from an offensive and defensive standpoint,” Hurley noted. “[Devin] Carter’s earning every aspect of his first-round potential. [Castle] did a tremendous job guarding him. Steph saved us. We missed some shots we’d normally make, but Steph Castle, there’s not any freshman in the country who rebounds like him.”
As Hurley mentioned, it’s impossible to disregard all of Castle’s efforts in guarding Carter too. The freshman takes pride in guarding the other team’s best player, seeing it as a personal challenge.
“I feel like if I can limit the other team’s best player to under their numbers, then we have a great chance of winning,” Castle said.
As talented as Castle is, the mentorship that graduate Tristen Newton has given him along the way has played a big role in his development.
“[Tristen has taught me] lot. He’s done this a couple times; this is my first year,” mentioned Castle. “He’s given me a lot of tips.”
Newton, while helpful in prepping Castle, didn’t have his finest night. His 16 point, 11 board line won’t dissuade anyone from supporting his All-America campaign, but his shooting left a bit to be desired. He missed six of his nine attempts, including all three from downtown. His senior leadership was immensely important though, hitting 10/16 free throws and making the right plays at the right times.
It was a rough start to the game for the Huskies, who didn’t have much energy. Even with the amped crowd behind them, things were not going well. 10 straight points from Providence made it a 12-6 game and Connecticut was grasping at straws for answers.
Karaban used a layup as an attempt to stabilize things, but the Friars tacked on two more shots from Devon Carter and Jayden Pierre. A Tristen Newton and-one was really what turned things around.
Just as the Huskies’ response got going, the air got sucked out of Gampel. Karaban converted on a gorgeous layup but fell down hard after. Even as he limped off to the locker room, UConn kept the run coming. Samson Johnson and Castle each delivered huge dunks, as Karaban made his return.
“I looked at [Karaban’s] ankle and you could see how swollen it was,” Hurley noted. “He said he’d need to get it taped up, but that he’d come back. Everything changed when Karaban came to UConn for us. There aren’t a lot of guys who impact winning like him. He’s a special player—and the will there to stay in the game and limp around and help us win [was huge]. He looks like a boy next door, but he’s competitive.”
Upon reentering competition, Karaban swished a triple, which Cam Spencer followed with one of his own. That was all the half had to offer, as the Huskies led by one, despite playing poorly.
Clingan, who collected two fouls early in the contest, came back into the game after the break, but picked up two more in as many minutes. Left with Samson Johnson manning the middle, Connecticut surrendered six in a row.
Then came Castle. In the Huskies’ 13-2 run, the freshman poured in 11 points, including a pair from beyond the arc. After they gained that separation, neither side could gain an inch. In a foul-laden second half, the game was slow and the scoring slower.
Newton got three points the old-fashioned way and Spencer hit a push-shot, but a three from Rich Barron kept Providence within reach. Hassan Diarra had the dagger three rim out with a minute left and the Friars had a chance to cut the score to one possession. As fate would have it, Clingan swatted Josh Oduro’s try at the rim. The Huskies hit their free throws and the game was wrapped up.
Connecticut will get a few days to heal before their Saturday came against St. John’s in the Garden.
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